Today's Passage: I Samuel 1-2
The two stories in I Samuel 1-2 are two sides of the same issue. The first story is one of great reliance on God and great faithfulness. Can you imagine what it must have been like to be Hannah? Every year her rival taunts her because the thing she wants most, a child, has not been given to her. Every year she returns to worship and the same thing happens. But this year, scripture tells us "in bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord." She had so much hurt, so much anger that it just had to come out, and she cried out to God in her pain. She not only trusted God with her future, but also her present...she trusted that God would be able to handle all that was going on inside of her. And her faithfulness is rewarded with a child that will be a major leader and prophet for God's people.
The second story has a much darker tone. Eli the prophet has trusted his sons with the role of the priest in receiving the burnt offering. God was providing for Eli and his family, but the sons wanted more...they wanted what belonged to God. They took for themselves first and left God what remained behind. As you'll see in the near future, this was a very bad move on their part.
Hannah cried out to God, trusting that He was the answer. The sons of Eli took from God, trusting that He would not do anything. Hannah's faithfulness was rewarded. The sons of Eli faced a call of condemnation. Two sides of the story...which one best describes your life today? Are you trusting God in your circumstances, or are you taking what belongs to God and trusting in yourself?
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