“Choosing to make a Choice”
“My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn(strength) is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God,” 1 Samuel 2:1,2.
I had been reading the book of Samuel lately and surprisingly saw this verse on my Bible app for the verse of the day. As I read the words, “my heart rejoices and delight in your deliverance,” I was reminded of how the person speaking, Hannah, moved from broken despair to this confidence within her life.
Hannah was one of two wives to a man named Elkanah….and all I can say is thank goodness for commentaries when it comes to strange situations in Bible stories such as multiples wives…. Peninnah was the other wife that harbored bitterness and lacked joy despite being the mother of many for Elkanah. Hannah lived her life with pestering remarks from Peninnah as her heart grew weary from the ridicule. Hannah desperately wanted children, but had not received the answer to that prayer. Can you imagine the depression she must have experienced? Not only are you deeply desiring something in life, but you’re being taunted by your peers about wanting it?! This is a harsh, heartbreaking burden she is carrying.
The Bible says, “In her deep anguish, Hannah prayed to the Lord, and she made a vow, saying “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,” 1 Samuel 1:10,11.
If you are familiar with the story, you know Hannah does become pregnant and she does keep her promise to the Lord as she dedicates Samuel to Him; “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord,” 1 Samuel 1:27,28.
I love the heart of this woman. There is a magnitude of faith being poured into that commitment to the Lord and a deep level of trust as she returns to fulfill it, but the even bigger message my heart takes note of is the choice she made. Hannah had so many opportunities to grow bitter, become angry, deny God’s sovereignty, and disregard her promise. Hannah chose to believe her God knew best, she chose to believe her God had not forgotten the desires of her heart, and that her son was first God’s, then her own. Oh, to have that mindset every hour of every day in all areas of life.
Hannah’s choice made all the difference. She chose to remain faithful to the Lord, waiting for His timing and honoring the words she spoke to Him.
We live in a world that portrays one’s faith as something that just falls into place, but it’s the opposite. We choose to believe God is bigger than the problem; we choose to trust God’s timing, and we choose to follow God’s commands despite our opinion. Hannah’s heart rejoiced in the Lord and delighted in His deliverance because of her choice to wholeheartedly commit her decisions to the Lord. May we consider Hannah’s approach in life and be strengthened by her story.
