Providence, Power, and Grace

"He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with nobles and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He has set the world upon them."
                                                               1 Samuel 2:8




Blessings come in every shape and size. Often, they can be obscure and hidden from our sight. What we might view as a trial or a challenge could simultaneously be the biggest blessing in our life when it is held in the loving hands of our Heavenly Father and transformed into the very gift that will forever bless our hearts and alter our testimony. God has absolute power over all things, and, in His providence, He intertwines His grace to display His glory in unprecedented ways.

This is the lesson that Hannah learned. Her eyes were opened to see that the very God of Providence was also the God who created the heavens and the earth. Both nature and providence melded together by a force far greater than our minds can conceive. This union yielded awe and wonder from the recipient of God's marvelous grace.

Her very name means "gracious" or "graciousness" or "favor". She was the favorite wife of her husband, Elkanah, who was a Levite of one of the most honorable tribes of Jacob's offspring. Hannah was loved and treasured by her husband and their lives together were abundantly blessed, with the exception of one desire. More than anything, she longed to bear a son to carry on her husband's lineage and legacy. For a season, she felt like her life was anything but blessed.

Possibly through the urging of Hannah, Elkanah married another woman named Peninnah. This new wife gave him several children while she goaded Hannah whenever she could. It wasn't enough to be grateful for the gifts God had given to her. She also had to cruelly and repeatedly rub it in to the woman who held the affection of he husband's heart.

Despite the afflictions and persecutions that shrouded the beginning of her marriage, what Hannah probably didn't see at the time was that God was using these difficulties to forge a character that would forever bless the world. She was set apart to the Lord and she slowly learned how to daily receive the grace that was needed in order to rise above her circumstances. Her soul found peace and she cried out to the Lord both day and night.

The contrast between Hannah and Peninnah displays the differences between the weak and the strong in the earth. Often, the strong ridicule and mock the weak, but God hears and rescues the "Hannahs" in the world. God's heart is stirred when we humbly cry out to Him. He uses our weaknesses to accomplish great things!

Her husband tried unsuccessfully to fill the void in Hannah's heart. He said to her, "Hannah, why do you cry? And why do you not eat? And why are you grieving? Am I not more to you than ten sons?" (1 Samuel 1:8). He attempted to fill a heart that gaped from perceived loss and sorrow. He tried to do what only God could do, but it was to no avail. In fact, his efforts only provoked more anger and retaliation from Peninnah. Jealousy was stoked within her and she lashed out her fury fire at every opportunity.

Years passed and Hannah's pain intensified. As her persecution persisted, her burden got heavier. it got so bad that Hannah referred to herself as "a woman of a sorrowful spirit" (1 Samuel 1:15). It seemed there was no way of escape from this journey of self-reflection and mourning. Despite desperately desiring for her circumstances to change, she ultimately surrendered to the monotony of misery that was her life.

Although it was the providence of God that had temporarily shut Hannah's womb, she did not pull back from her relationship with Him. It was prayer that brought her solace. It was her faith that sheltered the pain in her heart. Even in her seeking God, however, she was rebuked by Eli, the priest, who thought Hannah had been drinking. He did not understand that her pain was so great that she could not utter a word. Her prayers connected directly from her heart to God's because there were no words that could adequately convey the distress that she felt.

Despite Eli's rebuke, Hannah opened up her heart to him and shared the petitions and pleas that she had made to the Lord. She had learned how not only to receive God's grace, but also how to give it to others. As she opened up her heart and trusted him with the weightiness of her burden, her sorrow suddenly began to dissipate. He said to her, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him" (1 Samuel 1:17). She received this as a promise and her faith began to soar again.

Her sorrow turned to jubilation and joy when she realized that God didn't even need her words in order to give her the desires of her heart. At long last, God answered her prayers and her long awaited son was born. She named him Samuel, which means "asked of the Lord".

The song that Hannah sang to God would also become the song that inspired the Virgin Mary to sing to the God who keeps His promises (Luke 1:46-55). Both of their songs embrace the majesty, power, holiness and grace of God. Both women could see that the work God does in the earth supersedes our limited knowledge and understanding. Both women marveled in the truth that blessings often come through brokenness. Both women recognized that the providence, power, and grace of God yields a three-fold cord that impacts the world eternally.

Your story isn't over. The ending may not yet  be apparent but please know that when God is in the middle of it, it has no choice but to end well. May we humbly yield to the One who sees all and who does know the end from the beginning. Embrace every blessing, and not just the ones that look good to us!


"And His mercy (His compassion and kindness toward the miserable and the afflicted) is on those who fear Him with godly reverence, from generation to generation and age to age."
                                                              Luke 1:50