Not long ago, our kids in Sunday School were learning about this account in Scripture-of Hannah and her deep despair and great faith. We discussed the way Hannah chose to seek God’s favor and His will, the way she prayed so fervently that Eli thought something was terribly wrong, and the ways God blessed her. I asked the kids if this account means that God will give us whatever we want whenever we pray for it. Everyone had to think for a minute, as Hannah was so incredibly blessed! But in the end, one of our kids said, “Hmm no! I don’t think it does. It was best for Hannah to have Samuel…He had a plan, but EVERYTHING we want isn’t always best.” Another of the kids reminded us that, “Hannah prayed when she was upset, we should pray about how we feel too.” Everyone soon agreed that God isn’t always going to say yes. Sometimes He tells us no or that we need to wait. We remembered that His plan is always the best plan. However, we can learn from Hannah that when our heart is troubled or we are going to through a hard time, we should turn to the one true God. We have faith that He hears our prayers and provides for our needs. Sometimes those provisions look a little different than what our flesh desires, but He hears and provides none the less!
So I’ll challenge you (and myself!) just as I challenged our kids during this lesson. We are all in different places in our walk with Christ. Some have yet to surrender to Him, others are following Him in joy, still others are following Him in the midst of heartache and trials. Wherever we are in our walk, let’s learn from Hannah’s example and spend time in communion with our God. Let’s take time to confess, rejoice, and plead with Him, knowing that He hears our cries. Let’s allow Him to grow our faith and seek His plan, knowing that His plan is for our good and His glory. Lastly, let’s seek to share this good news with those around us.
VC Devotionals 