Yet I Will Praise You: Hannah
History bears witness to the many men and women who have gone before us in choosing to praise God in spite of the great suffering they endured. We can learn much from their testimonies of faithfulness and perseverance in the midst of grief and pain. In this series, we share about the trials others have endured, and of their commitment to praise God from the valley.
As mothers, we have a vision for our children’s future. It involves happiness and prosperity, all in close proximity to ourselves. We want to control their destiny. We want a guarantee that no harm will come to them.
But that isn’t ever the case. We don’t know what tomorrow will hold. But we do know Who holds tomorrow. We can place our trust in God and be assured that He will be faithful.
Hannah was a woman who grasped these truths. If you are unfamiliar with the story of Hannah, here’s a bit of background information: Hannah was married to a man named Elkanah. He also had another wife, Peninnah. It was common during that time period for a man to have multiple wives. Peninnah had been blessed with children, but Hannah hadn’t been able to conceive. Elkanah favored Hannah, which caused Peninnah to become jealous and mock Hannah for being barren. Hannah was miserable. She desperately desired a child and was reminded daily by Peninnah that she was a failure. This continued year after year.
Now at this point, Hannah had a choice: she could give up hope and embrace despair, or she could turn to God and lay her burdens at God’s feet. Hannah chose to “pour out [her] soul to the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:15). She petitioned God for a son, and committed to “give him to the Lord for all the days of his life” (1 Samuel 1:11). God heard and granted this request by giving Hannah a son, Samuel. Once Hannah had weaned Samuel, she brought him to live at the temple to “minister before the Lord under Eli the priest” (Samuel 2:11).
Hannah, who prayed fervently for a child, honored the commitment she made to God. God allowed her to have the baby she longed for, and Hannah gave him back to the Lord to be raised in the temple.
“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
What a sacrifice! Maybe you’re questioning how she could have made that kind of commitment—to agree for her child to grow up without her. It could be that Hannah was content to just finally have the long awaited title of mother. She was satisfied with having her son with her, if only for a short time. Hannah wanted to experience giving birth, bringing life into the world, and knowing she had helped create something that would forever claim a piece of her heart.
Hope Momma, I know you get this! For however long your baby was with you—hours, days, weeks, or months, you are a mother. The time you had with your baby, whether inside your womb or outside, is a blessing and worth every tear. Your baby has left an imprint on your heart.
In my Bible, there is a small paragraph of commentary on Hannah. What struck me so deeply was this statement: “Hannah did not cling to her blessing any more than she had clung to her woes. She gave both to God.” What a beautiful statement of faith. Hannah offered both her sorrow and her son to God. She trusted Him with everything.
But Hannah’s story doesn’t end here. God didn’t receive Samuel at the temple, and then turn His back on Hannah. God acknowledged Hannah and rewarded her for her faithfulness.
“And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.”
1 Samuel 2:21
God gave Hannah other children to raise at home while her oldest child had the great privilege of growing up in God’s presence.
If you continue reading in 1 Samuel, you see that God talked to Samuel. They had actual conversations. Can you imagine? And sweet mommas, this has me in tears. I weep tears of joy at the thought of my Hope Baby, Kinley, and all of your hope babies, in the presence of the Lord having conversations with Him. I can’t image any greater destiny for my daughter.
In the short time Hannah had with her son, she imprinted the importance of reliance and obedience to God. Samuel’s future was not with Hannah. But God had good plans for Him:
“[He] continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men.” (2:26)
“The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.” (3:19)
Samuel anointed the first two kings of Israel, wrote down the rules for the kings to live by, deposed King Saul, corrected King David, and remained faithful to God all of his life. Samuel led a life worthy of his calling. And when “Samuel died, all of Israel assembled and mourned for him.” (25:1)
What a life! What a legacy of faith Hannah instilled in her son!
I know that Hannah’s story and your story are not the same. While you can relate to some of her story, the obvious difference is that Hannah’s child was able to live out his life on the earth. But here’s the thing: I don’t believe God is limited to only using our children for His glory while they are on the earth. Death has no power over God. We have no idea how big of an impact our babies have had or will have on the lives of others.
As mothers, we carry out the legacy of our Hope Babies by praising God in our highs and in our lows. Like Hannah, we lay our sorrows and our blessings at the feet of our Savior. Neither is ours to carry. We make the choice to give both to God and watch Him spread the legacy of faith that He has planted in us. Although we miss our sweet babies, we can smile as we imagine them in daily conversation with our Creator.
- Stephanie
Hope Mom to Kinley
Stephanie Blanks is married to Matt and has four children: Lyston (9), Kinley (who went home to Jesus in 2011), Levi (6), and Leighton (4). Stephanie works at the Chamber of Commerce in her small town of Hondo, TX. She enjoys singing in her church praise band, running, reading, and spending time with her family at the lake. You can read more from Stephanie on her blog.
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