admin
01-14-2008, 08:38 AM
Meditation
1 Samuel 1:1-8
Readings
Have you ever seen someone you love in a state of anguish? You long to comfort them, and you wonder what you can say to lift their spirits. In this case, Elkanah tried to console his childless wife, Hannah, by asking: “Why do you grieve? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:8). We can’t be sure what effect his words had, but we can only imagine how encouraging they must have been to her. In the midst of her pain, Hannah was not alone: She had someone who would never forsake her, someone who was willing to walk this path with her.
What can this story say to us? Every one of us has been disappointed by something in life. Perhaps we also wanted children, but we don’t have them. Perhaps we never reached the goals we set for ourselves when we were younger. Or perhaps a great tragedy has struck us, like the death of a loved one or the betrayal of a friend. We may not have a spouse like Hannah did to console us; in fact, we may have very few friends in this world. But whatever our situation, we have something of much greater value: the love of Christ.
Jesus sees all of our pain, and like the loving Father that he is, he says to us, “I know you are hurting. I know you feel alone. But I am here in your midst. Let my love fill you and become for you more than whatever you are lamenting right now.” He may indeed give us what we are asking for, as he eventually blessed Hannah with the child she longed for. But more important than any earthly blessing is the knowledge that God loves us unconditionally. There are no strings attached!
Brothers and sisters, we can lift up our heads, no matter what we are suffering. We know that Jesus will never turn us away, no matter what our condition. He holds out his nail-scarred hands, longing to embrace us. Through all our trials, he calls out to us to come to him. What are you facing today? Look into Jesus’ merciful eyes, and ask him to bear this burden with you. He is near to the brokenhearted!
“Jesus, I give you my wounds, my sorrows, and my broken dreams. I count these as nothing compared to your awesome and unchanging love!”
Psalm 116:12-19; Mark 1:14-20
Online Christian Devotion
1 Samuel 1:1-8
Readings
Have you ever seen someone you love in a state of anguish? You long to comfort them, and you wonder what you can say to lift their spirits. In this case, Elkanah tried to console his childless wife, Hannah, by asking: “Why do you grieve? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:8). We can’t be sure what effect his words had, but we can only imagine how encouraging they must have been to her. In the midst of her pain, Hannah was not alone: She had someone who would never forsake her, someone who was willing to walk this path with her.
What can this story say to us? Every one of us has been disappointed by something in life. Perhaps we also wanted children, but we don’t have them. Perhaps we never reached the goals we set for ourselves when we were younger. Or perhaps a great tragedy has struck us, like the death of a loved one or the betrayal of a friend. We may not have a spouse like Hannah did to console us; in fact, we may have very few friends in this world. But whatever our situation, we have something of much greater value: the love of Christ.
Jesus sees all of our pain, and like the loving Father that he is, he says to us, “I know you are hurting. I know you feel alone. But I am here in your midst. Let my love fill you and become for you more than whatever you are lamenting right now.” He may indeed give us what we are asking for, as he eventually blessed Hannah with the child she longed for. But more important than any earthly blessing is the knowledge that God loves us unconditionally. There are no strings attached!
Brothers and sisters, we can lift up our heads, no matter what we are suffering. We know that Jesus will never turn us away, no matter what our condition. He holds out his nail-scarred hands, longing to embrace us. Through all our trials, he calls out to us to come to him. What are you facing today? Look into Jesus’ merciful eyes, and ask him to bear this burden with you. He is near to the brokenhearted!
“Jesus, I give you my wounds, my sorrows, and my broken dreams. I count these as nothing compared to your awesome and unchanging love!”
Psalm 116:12-19; Mark 1:14-20
Online Christian Devotion