“And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.” I Samuel 2:20-21.
We can never out give the Lord. Hannah proved this truth. She gave her most precious possession, the son she waited years for, to the Lord. As a mother, I can imagine how Hannah felt as she left Shiloh after saying good-bye to Samuel. I am sure that she looked back for as long as she could, waving to that little boy who had become so precious to her.
But she had something to stand on. She would always remember what Eli had said to her and Elkanah. As he thanked them, he pronounced a blessing upon them. God was pleased with what they had done, and He would bless them with other children.
Picture Hannah as she returned to her home. Everywhere she looked there were memories of Samuel, but she looked forward to the children that she knew would come in the next few years. God gave her three more sons and two daughters.
God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. It is His will for us to prosper and to be blessed. He may not ask us to give our children away like He did Hannah, but He does want us to give ourselves completely to Him, and to obey whatever He asks us to do. He will always reward us as we give to His kingdom. It may not be in material things, but we will be blessed spiritually.
David believed this as he wrote in Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Hannah gave her best to the Lord and He blessed her for it. As women of the Lord, let’s give our best to God, and then thank Him for the blessings He bestows.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the privilege we have of serving you, help us to listen to your voice, trust your word, and walk in your way. Help us to give our best to you.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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