The Responsive God
“The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to worship before the Lord. Afterward, they returned home to Ramah. Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. After some time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, because she said, ‘I requested him from the Lord.”
1 Samuel 1:19-20 (emphasis added)
In her song “I Will Not Be Moved,” musician Natalie Grant sings these words:
And though sometimes my prayers feel like
They’re bouncing off the sky
The hand that holds won’t let me go
And is the reason why
I will stumble, I will fall down
But I will not be moved.
Have you ever felt like that? As though your prayers are words that merely touch the air, lifeless and meaningless? Know that you are not alone, and know that God hears you. We see this in Hannah’s story, and we can have confidence knowing that this story is for us (Romans 15:4). You are heard by God.
SETTING THE STAGE
Can you imagine being the loved wife of a man that you could not bear children for? This is Hannah’s story in a nutshell. While Elkanah loved her, she was unable to bear children, and in a time and place where fertility was seen as an indicator of value, shame is natural. Add to this the taunting of a rival wife - reminiscent of Hagar’s relationship with Sarah (Genesis 16:3) - and Hannah’s response - the pouring out of her anger and resentment - reveals the depth of her broken heart.
But God knows how to heal this; he binds up its wounds (Psalm 147:3).
THE PRAYER
Hannah pours out her heart before Yahweh, promising that if He gives her a son, she will give him up to be his servant, and she will never cut his hair, reflecting the vow of the Nazirite. Pause here for a moment and consider. Hannah desires a baby so much that she makes God a promise, on pain of guilt if she does not keep it promptly (Deuteronomy 23:21; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5). Have you ever wanted something so badly that you’d make a promise to the One who is ever faithful, even when we’re not? (2 Timothy 2:13). Have you ever wanted something so much you made a promise to the one who has given us great and precious promises out of His grace, to the one whose promises are all Yes in Christ? (2 Peter 1:4; 2 Corinthians 1:20). If yes, then you understand Hannah’s plea.
THE RESPONSE
We see God’s power and grace in His response. The text says that the Lord remembered her, and we know that since God knows everything, it’s not as though He forgot about Hannah. No - simply, He paid attention to her, heard the cry of her heart, and responded. The woman who once could not bear children bore Samuel and other children, including two daughters (1 Samuel 2:21), revealing that pregnancy and childbirth are ultimately in the control of God (Isaiah 66:9), and that he cares about the desires of our hearts (1 Peter 5:7). Hannah’s story illustrates the promise of God and the words of James: Ask, and you will receive; and you have not, because you ask not.
If you’re anything like me, maybe you struggle with those words. You ask, hoping for something good, but what you want doesn’t come. Over time, with repeated similar incidents, you become angry, bitter, cynical and maybe you start walking the road of hopelessness. Know that even here, God sees and hears you. He says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). He says, “God is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). He says, “Trust in him at all times… pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8). Bring your sadness and your anger and despair to the throne of grace. He can take it (Psalm 88; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7).
What He wants is for you to draw near to Him, and He promises to draw near to you (James 4:8). And He will respond, even if the answer is not what you expect, because He hears, and He is compassionate (Psalm 94:9, Lamentations 3:55-57; Isaiah 65:24; Exodus 34:6-7).
Trust Him. Trust that He is true (John 3:34) and that He cares for you. In faith, ask for what you need and what you desire, knowing that He hears you at all times and in all places; you can’t escape His presence. He is close, and He is for you (Romans 8:31).