Taking Hold of God
When Your Spirit is Deeply Troubled
1 Samuel 1:1-2:2
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. (1 Samuel 1:10)
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How will you confront those bitter feelings that arise from personal attacks? You may try to ignore them, but what will you do when they take root in your soul? Peninnah had poured out her scorn on Hannah, and hurt her deeply. She chided Hannah because she was childless. Taunted by these bitter feelings, Hannah admitted that her spirit was deeply troubled (1:15).
So, how will you address these harsh emotions? In the Scriptures, we find that many people passed through the deep waters of personal bitterness.
- Naomi experienced bitterness, with the deaths of her husband and her sons (Ruth 1:13). Impoverished, she trudged back to her homeland with a heavy heart. Naomi was so grieved that she asked her neighbors to call her by the name “Mara,” meaning “bitter” (Ruth 1:20).
- The Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:27) was acquainted with this same bitter vexation of spirit when her precious child died.
- Job knew this bitterness of soul (Job 3:20) with the loss of his children and his health. He did not take this quietly but declared, “I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.” (Job 7:11)
How will you face these feelings that often spring from the loss of a loved one, the loss of your income, or the loss of your health?
Hannah serves like a trailblazer for all those who are in trouble; she taught us how to “take hold of God (Isaiah 64:7).
Taking Hold of God in Your Times of Bitterness
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. 1 Samuel 1:10
Hannah was desperate for answers. But all the while, God was at work to accomplish His purpose in Israel; He often brings about His highest purposes through our humble prayers. The hand of the Lord had hindered the earnest desire of her heart, and no one around her offered any help. So, how will you respond to this kind of personal pain?
- Even when it seems as if the Lord Himself is against you (1:6)
- Even when your spouse doesn’t understand you (1:8)
(In spite of his frequent questions and expressions of concern, Hannah’s husband, Elkanah, didn’t understand her grief.)
- Even when your leaders misunderstand you (1:14)
Adding insult to injury, Eli, the aging priest, thought her prayerfulness was drunkenness! His bumbling approach implied that Hannah was a worthless woman (1:16).
So how did Hannah keep pressing on when she faced these obstacles?
- Hannah appealed to her Omnipotent Savior – “the Lord of hosts” (1:11).
This is a very important verse in God’s Revelation in the Scriptures. This is the first time that He is addressed as “the Lord of hosts” (“Lord Sabaoth” meaning “Lord of armies.”) As her son Samuel penned the words of 1 Samuel, he probably marveled at his mother. Piercing pain had made his dear, believing mother into a thoughtful theologian.
- Hannah submitted herself to the Lord as His servant (“handmaid”) (1:11) She made her prayer to the Lord in order to give Him glory.
- Hannah apparently knew the Lord better than Eli did.
Trying to recover from his blunder, Eli said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition. . .” (1:17) This is a rather distant way to address the Lord. By contrast, Hannah used God’s personal name [YWHW] several times in chapters 1 and 2.
- Hannah poured out her soul before the Lord (1:15).
Perhaps the Psalmist remembered Hannah’s testimony when he wrote, “Trust in him at all times; ye people, Pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” (Psalm 62:8)
What happened when Hannah took hold of God in prayer?
Taking Hold of God in your Times of Blessing
- Hannah’s face was no longer sad (1:18).
She had found the answer for her longings through her appeals to “the Lord of armies.”
- The Lord answered Hannah’s prayer (1:19-20)
- To honor the Lord, Hannah named her son “Samuel” meaning “asked of the Lord.”
- Hannah’s prayer (1 Samuel 2:1-10) was filled with praise to God.
Her prayer began with these words, “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.” (1 Samuel 2:1-2)
So Hannah, the thoughtful theologian raised the next leader of the nation until she gave him to the Lord.
In your misery, follow Hannah’s model. When the scorn of personal attacks pierces your soul, cry out to the Lord. When your spirit is deeply troubled, take hold of God.
— Pastor Gordon Dickson