March 23 Daily Devotional

1 Samuel 1–2

Elkanah lived in the days of Eli the high priest, who judged Israel forty years. He lived with his family at Ramah, in the central portion of Canaan. Elkanah looked up to God. Every year he went to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifice. Hannah, his God-fearing wife, went with him. But she was not happy; grief was on her mind: God had given her no children. This was considered a disgrace among the Hebrew women. Her husband tried to comfort her, for he loved her dearly.

At one time, while they were at the tabernacle in Shiloh, Hannah turned to God in prayer, saying, “O Lord of hosts … give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.” Her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. And Eli, who sat on his seat at the doorpost of the tabernacle, saw her and spoke to her. She replied and said, “I am a woman of sorrowful spirit: I have … poured out my soul before the Lord … for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.” Eli said, “Go in peace: the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.” So Hannah went her way and her face did not look sad anymore.

The prayer of Hannah was answered. The Lord gave her a son and she called his name Samuel, which means “asked of God.” When the boy was a few years old his parents arranged and brought him to Eli, with a special offering of thanksgiving to the Lord. And Hannah said to Eli, “Oh my lord … I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lived he shall be lent to the Lord.”

And Hannah worshipped the Lord and said, “My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God … The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up … He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Samuel grew up and was obedient unto the Lord. At a time when the word of the Lord was precious, he heard the voice of the Lord. He became a man of God, a prophet of the Lord, to proclaim the message of salvation to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.