Monday, December 21: 1 Samuel 1:15-18
I read a few different translations of these verses to get a feel for what I wanted to write about, and really liked this translation:
Hannah: My lord, I am not drunk on wine or any strong drink; I am just a woman with a wounded spirit. I have been pouring out the pain in my soul before the Eternal One. Please don’t consider you servant some worthless woman just because I have been speaking for so long out of worry and exasperation.
Eli: Go, don’t worry about this anymore, and may the True God of Israel fulfill the petition you have made to Him.
Hannah: May your servant be favored in your sight.
Then Hannah rose and went back to where she was staying. The sadness lifted from her, so she was able to eat.
There are so many times when we feel wounded in spirit. Sometimes it comes from earthly disappointments; sometimes it comes from personal attacks or fragile moments. Hannah’s fear of being seen as worthless in her moments of weakness and pain are all too familiar for many. I know this year, there have been many of us who have struggled to feel cheerful and hopeful in light of what’s going on in the world around us. There have been days where I have wondered, “will I ever feel normal again?”
Reading this story in the Bible, I am reminded of the gift of a God who hears us. When our spirits are low, when we are filled with pain, we can pour out our hearts to God and he will not only hear us, but he will restore us. When the sadness lifted from Hannah, she is able to be comforted—she is able to eat, to be fulfilled, even in such a physical, earthly way.
I love the song “O Holy Night” around Christmas time, specifically the lyrics “The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices!” Weariness cannot always be fixed with a nap or a good night’s sleep. Weariness is sometimes bone deep, soul deep, and the only cure is the peace that God can provide for us. This Christmas season, as we are surrounded by traditions and new realities, by memories and creating experiences, by in-person celebrations and digital reunions, let us remember and treasure in our hearts the peace that God provides, and the hope for our world that we can be a part of—praying diligently for one another, that we might be comforted and fulfilled.
Linsey Mastin