1 Samuel 1:11
I recently listened to a message called “Breaking Point” by Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts, about the story of Hannah. It reminded me of a time in my own life when I gave over to God one of my greatest desires, and in return received the blessing I had been longing for.
In the opening chapter of the Book of Samuel, we learn of a man named Elkanah who had two wives. His wife Peninnah had several children, but his wife Hannah had none. Every year, Elkanah, Peninnah, their children, and Hannah made the journey from Ramathaim to Shiloh to worship and make sacrifices to God. When they would eat the sacrificial meal afterwards, Elkanah always gave a generous portion to Hannah, both because he pitied her for having no children, but also because he loved her tremendously.
By contrast, Peninnah cruelly taunted Hannah year after year for not having children. In verses 7-8, we read, “Hannah was reduced to tears and had no appetite. Her husband Elkanah said, “Oh, Hannah, why are you crying? Why aren’t you eating? And why are you so upset? Am I not of more worth to you than ten sons?”
Historians speculate that Elkanah may have had two wives for reasons according to the Jewish oral laws of that time. Some traditions claim that if a wife remained barren after ten years of marriage, the husband was required to take a second wife to fulfill the commandment to “be fruitful and multiply.” Other traditions claim that Hannah may have encouraged Elkanah to take a second wife so that he could be blessed with offspring.
Elkanah “loved Hannah so much.” Even though she had not produced an heir for him, his devotion to her was deep and undeniable. It made him sad to see her crying. It was obvious she was a gentle and worthy wife. Yet nowhere in 1 Samuel 1 does it mention that Elkanah loved Peninnah in this way. We can deduce that he married her out of obligation. We can also infer that since Peninnah cruelly taunted Hannah for her barrenness, Peninnah was a jealous and bitter woman. The Scriptures even reference her as the “rival wife.”
Pastor Sarah’s sermon was titled, “Breaking Point.” Year after year, Hannah had to endure Peninnah’s cruel provocation, a reminder that her yearning to have a child was still unfulfilled. Quiet Hannah, Elkanah’s first wife and true love, finally had enough. She had reached her “breaking point.” She slipped away from her family and secretly entered the sanctuary. There, in her pain and solitude, she cried out to God:
“Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life.”
Further encouraged by the priest Eli who had witnessed her faith in action, Hannah left hopeful. Shortly after her prayer, the Lord remembered her, and she became pregnant with a son. She named him “Samuel” because “she asked God for him.”
We do not always understand the mysterious ways of God. But as believers, we know that our Lord works all things out for the good of those who love Him, in His perfect timing.
As Pastor Sarah suggests in her sermon, maybe, just maybe, what God desired from Hannah all these years was for to reach her breaking point. For Hannah to speak up and to cry out. For Hannah to surrender her deepest desire to God. For Hannah to recognize the Lord’s goodness and deliverance. For Hannah to commit her child’s life to God.
When Hannah finally reached her breaking point, she encountered her breakthrough moment with God.
In 1 Samuel 2, Hannah, full of joy and gladness after years of pain, offered this prayer: “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God.” (Verse 2.) After Samuel was weaned from Hannah, Hannah honored her promise to God by bringing Samuel to the sanctuary in Shiloh and giving him to the priest Eli, so that he could spend his life in devotion to the Lord.
The deepest desire of our hearts may be the very thing that hinders us from growing in our relationship with God.
For many years, my deepest longing was to be married. I spent the decade of my 20s having many boyfriends, none of whom were honorable men who loved the Lord. Simultaneously, the Lord pursued me for years, despite my rebellion and despite my disobedience. I won’t go into all the details, but by the time I was introduced to my husband, I had reached my breaking point. I still desired to be married, but because I had grown in my relationship with God, I turned the request over to Him completely.
When I am nervous, I chat a lot. When my husband is nervous, he doesn’t speak much. You can imagine how awkward our first date was, with me doing all the talking. I was convinced mid-date that my husband was not interested in a relationship with me. He wasn’t engaging in conversation. He probably assumed I was a chatterbox.
I remember saying in my heart, “Lord, even if this is not my future husband, I trust You. I believe You placed on my heart the desire to be a wife, and I know You plan to fulfill that promise. I will not give up hope that my husband is still out there.”
At the end of our first date, I was surprised that my now-husband asked me on a second date. Our relationship escalated quickly from there – we were engaged within a few months and married the next year. Almost two years after we married, we were blessed with a son.
After years of waiting, I met a man after God’s own heart. We willfully placed Christ at the center of our relationship when we met, and He remains the center of our marriage today.
God fulfilled my heart’s desire when I gave my heart’s desire over to Him – which is what He wanted all along. God does not want to merely be a part of the process – He wants to be THE process. With His perfection, with His timing, with His grace.
Samuel played a pivotal role in the Old Testament. The sons of the priest Eli were wicked, but even as a young boy, Samuel served the Lord. Samuel grew to be a great man of faith. He was Israel’s last judge and first prophet, and changed the course of kingship for the nation.
And all because one woman, at her breaking point, asked God for him.
Tracy Huneycutt has been a member of the Journey Church family since 2020. She enjoys serving food on Breakfast Sundays, teaching Kindergarten-2nd grade JKids, and being a part of the Moms Group. Her family consists of her husband, John, her son, Reid, and her Labrador, Suki. Tracy writes blogs and social media content as a copywriter and freelance marketing agent. She is blessed to have additional opportunities to write, especially to share the love and wisdom of the Father.
