3 Things Hannah Teaches Us about Perseverance in Motherhood
Parenting
Audio By Carbonatix
By Alicia Searl, Crosswalk.com
We find the beautiful story of Hannah tucked in the pages of the Old Testament. 1 Samuel 1:2-2:21 gives us a glimpse into the struggles this precious woman faced, and from the very beginning, we learn that she was married to a man who had two wives. Eeek! Yes, this was commonplace for the time.
Peninnah, the “other wife,” had children, but Elkanah, the hubby, wasn’t as enamored by her, maybe because his heart belonged to Hannah. But poor sweet Hannah was unable to conceive, which was looked down upon in society, causing deep shame. This obviously caused grave tension and friction in this household and brought about all kinds of strife and division.
As a woman who has struggled with infertility, I cannot even begin to imagine the weight of grief, isolation, and profound judgment that Hannah must have carried in her marriage. From the misunderstandings and hard conversations that likely happened, to the moments of jealousy or bouts of insecurities she must have faced, compared to Peninnah.
Yet, while Hannah’s story is one wrapped in pain and anguish, in the midst of being a barren Jewish woman in a troubled marriage, God meets her and hears her desolate cries and pleas to be a mother. What starts out as heartache weaves a story of a woman who placed her full trust and faith in the Lord, and in time, bears a son who will become one of the greatest prophets of all time.
There are so many beautiful lessons we can learn from Hannah and her journey as a mother. So, grab your Bible and get ready to saturate yourself in His Word, as this story reclaims truth and a promise that our God goes before you, is walking alongside you, and is making a way for you to persevere!
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Sarah Mason
The Journey to Motherhood Can Be Filled with Heartbreak
Hannah must have wrestled with insurmountable emotional and mental scars. Between a “rival wife” and a misunderstanding husband, Hannah wept in agony (1 Samuel 1:6-7) and must have endured deep battles of depression for the torment and ridicule she faced at home.
Oh friend, if you are in a troublesome marriage or facing the waves of heartbreak that come with infertility, God sees you. He has a message for you today. There is a place where Hannah came to grips with her past, placed her trust in the Lord for her present tribulations, and even praised God for the promise of a future that held a purposeful plan. So, take heart, sweet sister, and read how God can meet you in your heartache and carry you through.
Related:
5 Encouragements to Hold to When Suffering through Infertility
8 Things NOT to Say to Couples Going through Infertility
6 Ways to Pray While Going Through Infertility
1. Hannah Had Peace with Her Past
We encounter the story of Hannah during a very dark and brutal time for Israel. The people were in need of a ruler who would restore peace, as sin was running rampant, and everyone was living by their own accord. Since the need for a wise king was evident, Hannah’s faith and heart posture in prayer made a way for that to be possible!
Against all odds, Hannah loved and honored her husband, Elkanah, as he was a God-fearing man who worshiped the Lord and provided for his family. He also had a special devotion to Hannah, and while he did not fully understand the weight or gravity of her heartache, he clumsily strived to provide compassion (1 Samuel 1:3-5, 8). This devotion and her unwavering faith in the Lord gave her peace to place her heart in God’s hands and fully trust His plan, even though it came with past trauma and significant hurt.
Are you struggling with a past hurt? How can you surrender it all to God and ask Him to grant you peace that surpasses all understanding?
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
2. Hannah Trusted God in the Present Moments
Hannah could have easily felt forgotten by God and even grown angry for feeling overlooked. Dealing with the daily insults, social pressures, and extreme waves of emotions, she could have easily succumbed to it all by fleeing from home, growing bitter and resentful, or storing up coldness and withdrawing from God. Yet, even with a broken heart, she chose to go to the Lord’s house and pray fervently.
While Eli, the priest, judged her actions as odd, even declaring that her earnest prayers stemmed from an altered state of mind (1 Samuel 1:10-16), she humbled herself and openly shared her grief, asking for God’s grace and mercy.
Are you in a season of motherhood that is bringing on waves of challenges wrapped in grief, sorrow, and pain? How can you trust the Lord in the struggle, surrender Him through honest and reflective prayer, and share with a trusted mentor, friend, or pastor the burden you carry, so they can cover you in prayer?
Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
3. Hannah Praised God and Held Onto His Promises for the Future
Not only did Hannah place her heart in God’s hands and fully trust His plan, even if it didn’t seem to be panning out in her favor, she went a step further and rejoiced in the Lord. This was her way of acknowledging God’s purpose and plan for marriage and family. After her honest and sincere prayers to the Lord, she and her husband became pregnant with Samuel.
Hannah’s full confidence in the Lord is awe-inspiring because, as the story goes, she wholeheartedly surrenders Samuel to the Lord, not as a grown man, but as a baby that was barely weaned. She takes him to the altar and places him in the arms of Eli to be used as a servant of the Lord.
“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.” And he worshiped the Lord there.” Hannah (1 Samuel 1:27-28). Read her praise to the Lord in her precious, heartfelt prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-11.
Are you worried about what the future holds for you as a mother? Maybe you are concerned for the path God is laying out for your children? How can you place your full confidence in the Lord today and sing of His praises to soothe your momma heart and give you lasting comfort?
The Ministry of Motherhood Takes Humility, Surrender, and Sacrifice
Being a mother is not for the faint of heart and can bring about numerous challenges, many of which are unforeseen and catch us off guard, testing our faith. But I pray that Hannah’s story encourages you today and reminds you that this ministry we are called to as mothers takes both grit and grace.
It forces us to embrace humility, recognizing we cannot do this on our own and desperately need the Lord to grant us peace. It allows us to see past ourselves as we surrender our lives fully to Him and give Him permission to lead our children and us down the path He so chooses. This role requires endless sacrifice, as we surrender the very nature of our hearts, striving to equip our children to live in a way that pleases the Lord.
Yes, it comes with failures and heartbreak because we live in a world bound by sin, but our hope isn’t found in the wild seasons of motherhood and the crazy challenges it brings; it is found in our good and gracious God. Our God who holds our past, present, and future in His hands, and tells us in the precious pages of His Word that His plan and timing come with a much bigger purpose. Hold on to that hope today, sweet momma!
