“‘I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.’ And they worshiped the Lord there.”
1 Samuel 1:27-28
Hannah, the woman who had wept bitter tears, had been enjoying the Lord’s answer to her prayer for only a few short years when she brought Samuel back to the Tabernacle to give him to the Lord. As a mother, I can’t even imagine the pain of giving up the infant you nursed and the little boy who made you smile, knowing you'd never again hear his laughter in your home.
That’s why the last sentence we read amazes me…Hannah worshiped the Lord THERE! There in the place of sacrifice, there where she gave up the treasure for which she had cried. How could the place of such a difficult task inspire worship? Hannah’s prayer reveals the secret…“My heart rejoices in the Lord…There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” (2:1-2) For certain, Samuel was a treasure in Hannah’s heart, but he was not THE Treasure! Her heart rejoiced in the LORD! Even her beloved Samuel could not compare to the real Rock of Hannah’s life…the One she worshiped. This God was personal to Hannah…she called Him our God!
When Hannah’s God becomes THE Treasure of MY heart, then all other treasures will pale in comparison. And, in the place I sacrifice those other treasures, THERE I too will worship!
Comments