Sermon by Pastor Matt Jensen
Genesis 1:26-28
God made Adam and Eve in His image and instructed them to fill the earth with children that are to be His image-bearers, reflections of God's glory. But, sin entered the world. We now can no longer accurately reflect God's glory.
1 Samuel 1
Hannah was barren, badly misunderstood by her husband (Elkanah), badly treated by Peninnah, badly misunderstood by Priest Eli who thought she was crazy when she was actually just praying her soul out to God. Worse, Hannah remained deeply distressed for many years.
Hannah cried out to God from her pain. Her prayer wasn't a negotiation, like, "If you do this for me then I will do this for you." No, her prayer rose from her finally understanding her place in the world. She knew she was a servant of God and understood that if she were to conceive, her child will be an image of God. In this process of her reaching out to God, she placed her full trust in God. She was able to go home and eat once again--because she knew God would take care of her, even before God proved it to her that He would! Her faith in God was so great that she dedicated her son to the Lord as promised, despite that at the time the Temple was led by corrupted men, such as Priest Eli and his sons.
Hannah's story is a great inspiration that teaches us all about what we should do when we are waiting in pain.
Hannah's story also teaches us that parenthood isn't about what we want but about serving God. Parents have the mission to fill the earth with God's image. And when we seek parenthood, we need to realize that as a part of our greater mission in life: to serve God and to display His glory.
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