Have you ever read the poem THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE IS THE HAND THAT RULES THE WORLD by William Ross Wallace (1819-1881)?

(You can click here if you’ve not read it before)

Mr. Wallace knew how valuable the role of a mother was. He knew mothers were the makers of the next generation. For better or worse, they are busy molding and shaping the next generation. Unfortunately, it seems that the world has devalued the role of mothers since. We’re often encouraged that only women who can juggle motherhood plus other things, such as a career, are the only moms worthy to be honored. We’re also being inundated with such advice as: “You need ‘Me Time’”, and so on; but not all advice is godly advice! It may sound right for the moment but later, it may lead to regrets!This is why we need to turn to the Creator who made us and to His Word to make sure the wisdom we’re following is godly wisdom that won’t ever leave us with regrets one day!

Hannah, from the book of 1 Samuel, is a great place to begin to learn about the roles of mom. Though we only gain a glimpse of her life, there is sufficient evidence that testifies to at least three characteristics that makes one mom better than all the rest:

The BEST Mom is one who is devoted to God!

“Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

“There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.” 1Samuel 2:1-2

Hannah’s story opens by revealing her struggles with the pain of infertility and adversity. Hannah was not only barren; she had to share her husband with another woman who was able to bare children. And to make matters worse, she also had to endure the pain of Peninnah’s cruelty (1:6-7). Though Hannah was tempted to despair (1:8), she turned to the Lord, and poured out her heart to Him (1:9-16)

The BEST Mom is one who is devoted to her man!

“A wife of noble character…
is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.”  Proverbs 31:10-12

It may surprise most to learn that “the most important characteristic of a godly mother is her relationship, not with her children, but with her husband. What you communicate to your children through your marital relationship will stay with them for the rest of their lives. By watching you and your husband, they are learning the most fundamental lessons of life–love, self-sacrifice, integrity, virtue, sin, sympathy, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness.” John MacArthur

We can see that Elkanah and Hannah were dedicated to worshiping God (1:3) and to loving one another (1:4-8). Their situation of being unable to have children only helped to bring out Elkanah’s tender expressions of love for his wife. Notice how Elkanah appeals to their enjoyment of their relationship together in 1 Samuel 1:8; “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” It may appear at first that Elkanah doesn’t quite get it until we see that Hannah starts to eat and drink again and then goes off to the temple in verse 9. Children can flourish when their parents’ love for one another is evident.

The BEST Mom is one who is devoted to her children!

“She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
“Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.” Proverbs 31:27-29

 Hannah recognized immediately Who had given her Samuel:“And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.” (1 Samuel1:19-20) She named her son in remembrance of God’s goodness.

Hannah also remained committed to her home and to caring for and raising Samuel to the point that she would not make the trip back to the temple until it was time to give Samuel back to the Lord. She ultimately understood that all children belong to the Lord and are only given to us for a certain amount of time. For some mothers, their children are already with the Lord waiting to be reunited with their parents once more. Other mothers will be able to love and care for them their entire lives, but there comes a time in each mother’s life when she must recognize, like Hannah, that her children ultimately belong to God. They are a gift from the Lord, but only for a time known only by Him. We’ve got to remember Hannah’s example and do our utmost for our family and be the best we can be for as long as we’re able.

‘Til next time,

sue

“And Peninnah had children but Hannah had no children … And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.” (1 Samuel 1:2b, 6-7)

Can you feel Hannah’s pain? Anyone of us who has ever had a deep desire to have children surely can. And how much more so the woman who has struggled to conceive. And if that wasn’t enough, to have a rival provoke you year after year is unimaginable. If only Elkanah had followed God’s plan for marriage – one man, one woman. (Genesis 2:22-24) How could Peninnah do this to Hannah? How could anyone add insult to injury? While there is no excuse for her behavior, could her behavior have stemmed from her own hurt, from her own unmet desires? While Peninnah received a portion, Hannah received a double portion from Elkanah because he loved her despite the Lord closing her womb. He loved her unconditionally. Peninnah did not have the love of Elkanah that she most likely desired. And when she didn’t get her desire, she provoked her rival. What do we do when we don’t get our desires? Hannah did not retaliate against Peninnah. She became depressed because she didn’t have the desire of her heart. “Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.” I can relate. How about you?

 ”And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?

It’s tough for a husband to see his wife depressed. It must have broke Elkanah’s heart to see Hannah weeping. As my husband and I were discussing their story, he shared that had the Lord decided not to bless us with children, he would have been content because he had married me to share life with me. But he would have been heavy hearted for me because my desires would have been unfulfilled. When I think about Elkanah’s response, I wonder if he felt that way as well. Was his desire for a relationship with his wife first and foremost and that was enough for him? I always thought that Elkanah’s response was that of a man who didn’t understand his wife. And maybe it was that in part. But, as I’ve been reading this passage afresh, I read these words between the lines – “Am I not enough for you? Are you not content with me?” Now I’ve had some unfulfilled desires as you all have and often when I share with my husband, he will show me my lack of contentment with what I have. He doesn’t do that to diminish my desires but to help me to deal with them. Maybe that was Elkanah’s desire – to help his wife deal with her depression as best he knew how.

How did Hannah deal with her depression? I believe her words to Eli describe what she did after her husband brought forth his questions that may have been a help to move her forward. “I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.” “I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.”  There is no better place to go when we find ourselves dealing with our unmet desires. In that place, Hannah made a vow. I read this week that this was not a bargain with God. This was a surrender of her desire. What she most desired, she gave back to Him.  I also read that the Eli’s blessing – “Go in peace and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him” – was considered prophetic so Hannah’s spirits were lifted. Would they have been if she had not received that word? That matters not. There is a peace that is available to us whether we receive or don’t receive. Paul speaks of this peace  and so does Isaiah.

 ”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.

No matter our unfulfilled desires or our circumstances, we can have a peace that passes all understanding. A peace that comes from our Sovereign God.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

         ( Horatio Spafford  – It is Well with My Soul)

Cozy Little Reading Spot

As I study the story of Hannah in the Bible, I am reminded of my own journey through infertility.  I notice several things about Hannah that can be encouraging to those of you who are in the midst of this trial.

What was Hannah’s response to her barrenness in 1 Samuel Chapter 1?  She turned to the Lord.  It is appropriate to seek the support of friends and family members, but most importantly, we need to seek God and draw near to Him.  Pour your heart out to God just as Hannah did.  “Let your requests be made known unto God, with thanksgiving, as the Scripture commands us to do in Philippians 4.  When we do so, “the peace which passeth understanding” will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Continue reading →

Welcome to the second week of the second semester of Women in the Word. If you’re joining us for the first time, we’re excited you’re here and we look forward to getting to know you! You can click here for more details about our study and don’t forget to subscribe by email to receive our posts. If you want to be part of our community and join in the conversation, request an invitation to our closed facebook group (link below). Are you ready to begin? OK! Let’s get started!!

Heavenly Father, We are so thankful for You!  You are Jehovah-jirah, the One who desires to provide us with our greatest heart’s desires because of Your unfathomable love for us! We are so grateful for the opportunity to study Your Word  and we marvel at how You have brought us all together. We ask that You would open our eyes and show us marvelous things in Your Word again this week.  Help us to be not just hearers of Your Word but doers. Guide us, transform us, bring us together in unity and to You we will give all the glory and praise! In the precious name of Jesus we pray!

Hannah is one of my favorite characters in the Bible, for I think we all can easily relate to her and her situation. After all, who among us hasn’t found ourselves waiting or even longing for something that is beyond our control to obtain? It doesn’t have to be a child of our own; perhaps it’s a boyfriend or husband, a new job or promotion. Who of us haven’t also had to deal with adversaries that are always trying to antagonize and discourage us, or others who, despite loving us, just don’t understand what we’re going through?

Can you think of a time in your life when God made you wait? Or, perhaps you’re still waiting for deliverance. Whichever, Hannah demonstrates for us how best to handle the situation while we’re waiting. Continue reading →

Have you ever been reading in one passage of Scripture only to find another passage or verse resonating through your mind?  I have. It happened to me while I was reading through the book of Ruth a few weeks ago. The verse – “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4) – speaks volumes in how to live in relationship with others and Naomi, Ruth and Boaz certainly exemplify it.

So how is this exhortation displayed in their lives? Continue reading →

 I’m haunted by these verses at times. They speak about rejoicing when there seems to be nothing in our circumstances worth rejoicing over. I know Philippians 4:4 encourages us to “rejoice always”; but have you ever wondered how to do that? Do you remember a time when you found it hard to find anything to praise or rejoice over? You knew that you should, but couldn’t?

In the past, when I read the book of Ruth, I focused on Ruth, the main character, but this time I was drawn to Naomi and read it through her perspective. Just imagine having to face all that this woman faced in such a short amount of time: Continue reading →

Welcome to the second semester of Women in the Word. If you’re joining us for the first time, we’re excited you’re here and we look forward to getting to know you! You can click here for more details about our study and don’t forget to subscribe by email to receive our posts. If you want to be part of our community and join in the conversation, request an invitation to our closed facebook group (link below). Are you ready to begin? We are!!

Father, we praise You for Your steadfast love, grace and mercy and thank You for bringing us all together to study Your Word.  Open our eyes and show us marvelous things in Your Word. Help us to not be just hearers of Your Word but doers. Guide us, transform us, bring us together in unity and to You we will give all the glory. In the precious name of Jesus we pray!

Our journey through the Women in the Word continues in the “days when the judges ruled.” (Ruth 1:1) The time of the judges is that period of Israel’s history between the death of Joshua and the ministry of Samuel. What was this time like? We just need to turn to the last verse in the book of Judges to find out. “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.’ (Judges 21:25) And so a man named Elimelech, whose name meant “God is my King”, moved his family from Bethlehem, the “House of Bread”, to Moab because there was a famine in the land. Famines in Old Testament times were often a judgment from God. (Deuteronomy 11:13-17) While in Moab, Elimelech died leaving behind his wife, Naomi and their two sons. Tragedy struck again when both Naomi’s sons, who had married Moabite women, died. What was ahead for Naomi and her daughters-in-law? What do we learn from their relationship with each other and with God? What do we learn about God? Join us this week as we look into this story of loyalty, romance and redemption during one of Israel’s darkest times. Continue reading →