Welcome!
Passage: 1 Samuel 1
Today: This world is not my “home”!
27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. (1 Sam 1, NIV 84)
When Hannah got the answer to her prayer, she did not forget the giver, as it often happens to many. The reason she made such a sacrifice, was that she was a woman of God, while she was a good wife and mother
I have heard stories of mothers of previous generation in the Christian families, back home in India; they would spare good food, eggs, meat etc for the men of God who would visit their homes, without giving them to their own children, because they didn’t have much for all; so children would go on a partial fast, while the man of God eats his tasty meal. But God did not forget all of that. Today, many of those children are eating meat and eggs like anything, while they live in countries of the world like the US, Europe, etc!
Hannah did the best she could, for the Lord, and it looked “foolish” to many.
You can’t always please God and the people alike; when you please one, you may end up displeasing the other!
What looks “wise” to God, may look “foolish” to people!
During the days of Samuel, Eli was the priest and there was such a bad situation in the Land that Eli did not teach or enforce the word of God, even as he had the authority and responsibility to do that. When we ignore our responsibilities and enjoy the privileges of our position, we will pay for it somewhere!
The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. (1 Samuel 3: 1, NIV 84)-emphasis added
Samuel was brought up way different from Eli’s kids; Eli’s wife did not seem to be anywhere near Hannah, in the way she brought her sons up. I am sure, Hannah gave a lot of instructions and prayed a lot for Samuel, as she brought him up. She must have been reminding Samuel all the time, that he was for the Lord!
So, Samuel grew up as an “alien” in his own parent’s home!
When we really want to please God, we will have to sacrifice our “comfort zones”!
Jacob was “thrown out” of his parents’ home one day, because God wanted to develop him into the real person of “Israel”. If he was living comfortably in his parents’ home, that would not happen!
Thank God for those times He breaks our “comfort zones”. Some people come out of it on their own; for others, God just brings them out like Jacob
Let us live every day of our like Samuel, saying “this world is not my home” I’m just passing through…!”
Have a blessed day!
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to understand the very purpose for my life. Forgive me for forgetting that I belong to you and that you put me here on the earth, with a purpose, that I will live for you and work for you. So help me God, Amen
If we don’t live for God down here, we can’t live with God up there!