Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD…
the LORD remembered her plea, and in due time she gave birth to a son.
She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the LORD for him.”
1 Samuel 1:10-20 (NLT)
Hannah was in deep anguish. Her husband’s second wife, Peninnah, was a bully. She would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because Hannah could not conceive. In those days, barrenness was viewed as a failure, an embarrassment. Each year, Peninnah was so merciless with her derision that Hannah was “reduced to tears and would not even eat” (vs. 7).
Her husband, Elkanah, didn’t score any points for husband of the year by asking silly questions like, “Why are you crying, Hannah? Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted because you have no children? You have me. Isn’t that better than having ten sons?”
To top it all off, Eli, the priest, misconstrued Hannah’s grief as drunkenness. The New Living Translation describes her as “in deep anguish,” “crying bitterly as she prayed,” “discouraged,” “pouring out her heart to God,” and “praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” Eli reprimanded her, saying, “Must you come here drunk? Throw away your wine!”
Oh, the power of words! They can build us up or tear us down, heal the heart or crush the spirit. That little diddly “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is so untrue. Words hold so much power that they can push individuals over the brink. They are often the tool Satan uses to destroy marriages, relationships, and even souls.
Mercifully, her story doesn’t end there. God saw Hannah’s tears, heard her plea, and poured out His love into her life. In due time… When the time was right, God blessed Hannah with a son—not just any child, but a special child—one He would use mightily for His glory.
Prayer: Lord, may the words that flow from my mouth be pleasing, true, loving, and constructive. Correct me if my words are in any way displeasing to you. Like David, I ask you to place a guard over my mouth and watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3)—not just now, but every moment of every day, until I enter into your presence. In your name I pray, Amen.