06302019 Who Understands?

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our Savior. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to get this out to you yesterday, but I had a very hectic weekend and was away for most of it. I do, however, want you to know that I remember you and am praying for you. I trust that you had a good day of ministry already.

I thought today that I would share some brief thoughts from the story of Hannah, as recorded in I Samuel 1.

Hannah had an ongoing heartbreaking situation. From all indications in the passage, she loved and served God. However, she was in the difficult position of being childless. That is a challenge and disappointment to any normal woman. It is natural for many reasons to want to have children. In her culture, there was a level of shame or depreciation added to that natural disappointment. Onlookers may even have thought God had shut up her womb due to sin.

Hannah was truly struggling. She had an empty place in her heart and in her arms that she longed to fill. She went on year after year, hoping but seeing no answer. She was repeatedly disappointed. The passage says she fretted over the situation (v. 6), she wept over it (v. 7), and even reached the point of not eating (v. 7). Her heart was grieved (v. 8). She was in bitterness of soul (v. 10) and wept sore (v. 10). She was of a sorrowful spirit (v. 15). She had abundant complaint and grief (v. 16). This poor lady needed (and I'm sure desperately desired) someone to understand, someone to care, someone to comfort. Did she find that person?

In the passage, Hannah interacts with three people. One of those is the co-wife Peninnah. Peninnah had multiple children, and she is described as an adversary to Hannah. The particular area in which Peninnah provoked Hannah sore was in the area where Hannah was most hurting - her lack of children. This provoking went on year after year. Peninnah was not a source of understanding and comfort.

The second person is Hannah's husband Elkanah. Elkanah loved Hannah. He expressed his special love by giving her extra gifts and provision. But he didn't understand. He apparently had a level of patience and concern, as he watched her struggle year after year, but he didn't grasp the depth of her grief. His words, perhaps spoken in confusion, perhaps in intended comfort, perhaps even in frustration, were these: "Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?" (v. 8). Even if those words were well-intentioned, they would be perceived by the hearer as a lack of understanding. Elkanah didn't get it.

The third person was the priest Eli. He watched Hannah pray and completely misunderstood her anguish of soul. He came to the conclusion that she must be drunk, and he rebuked her. He thought her to be a daughter of Belial. Talk about misunderstanding! Here is a woman pouring out her heart to God, deeply seeking Him, desiring to honor Him, and she is accused by this leader of being exactly the opposite. Adding insult to injury, Eli did not understand Hannah.

All three people misunderstood. None of them offered suitable comfort. Peninnah is not surprising. There are rivals in life, people who don't like us very much. They don't always treat us well, and may treat us very harshly, as in this case. This treatment is not easy to take, but at least it is expected.

Then there are the people closest to us. Even they do not always understand. They may care that we are hurting, but might not comprehend the depth of our hurt. Furthermore, they may be completely powerless to help us or change our situation. They may even say words that come out sounding cruel and heartless, exactly wrong. This response is frustrating, as we fail to find the depth of understanding and comfort that we desire from what we perceive as the most likely and appropriate source.

And there are religious leaders. For various reasons - distance from the situation, lack of information, hearing someone else's version first, or simply the limitations of being human - leaders will not always get it right. They will sometimes be unaware of important details or naive as to the context, and they will give bad advice or draw wrong conclusions. They might even say hurtful words that show they completely misunderstand the state and desire of our heart. There is little that is more difficult to bear than having anyone evaluate our heart as carnal when it is actually very spiritually sensitive, and when that person is in leadership, the hurt is intensified.

Thankfully for Hannah and for us, there is another person involved in every situation. Hannah poured out her soul to God. She told Him of the difficulty. She shared her grief with Him. She expressed to Him her spiritual desires and sensitive heart.

God heard Hannah and was pleased. He responded to her anguish by answering her prayer and later blessing her with additional children. Is it not true that as much as we want to see a solution, often our stronger desire is for someone to understand and care? Well, God is that person. He always understands. He always cares. His heart is touched with our grief. He always correctly evaluates our heart. He may not always give us the answer or relief we desire, but He will always do what is best for us, and He will give the grace we need. Take heart! Our loving God gets it. He knows, and He cares.

Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com