SET UP: The other day, one of my co-workers asked me if I was a “sneaker head.” I hadn’t ever considered myself that, but then I thought about my spending habits and the amount of money I throw down on sneakers (or really anything Nike).
A couple of weeks ago, a new pair of Jordans dropped at 9:00 AM. I was pumped! I had my notifications set up, my Apple Pay ready to go - I even went as far as asking someone to be on call for me at work so I could place my order the moment it went live. I did absolutely everything in my power to guarantee that I would have a fresh new pair of kicks.
They sold out within seconds. And unfortunately, I was not one of those lucky owners of the newest Jordans.
It’s such a hard thing, isn’t it? When we wait and hope for something, when we do everything right, but what we wanted doesn’t come through? My obsession with shoes is absolutely materialistic, but when you really want something, it’s still a bummer when it doesn’t happen.
In ancient Israel, a woman’s status and reputation were often staked on whether or not they had any children, specifically male children. Today’s reading is about a woman named Hannah who faced hardship and cruelty because she wasn’t able to have children. Her husband was also married to another woman who harassed Hannah relentlessly because of her inability to become pregnant.
In her distress, Hannah begged and pleaded with God to give her a child, so much so that the priest who witnessed her prayers thought she was drunk. Her hope, humility, and desire to serve God sacrificially speaks volumes about her faith. She promised God that she would dedicate her child to His service if He would allow her to become pregnant. God answered her prayer, and her son Samuel became an advisor and friend of the mighty King David. Not only that, but God used Samuel as the one to anoint David when he was just a young teenager, forgotten and ignored by his family (not exactly what we would consider king material).
You might be hoping for a new pair of sneakers under your tree this Christmas. Or maybe you’re hurting because you thought you were doing everything you were supposed to, but nothing is happening in the way you hoped. If that is your current situation, it is so unbelievably hard - I don’t want to downplay that. This world can be so cruel. But please know that when your hope is in God and what He can do through a heart that desperately wants to serve Him, things will eventually work out. It may not be easy, but it will be greater than we could ever imagine. Hannah’s hope that God would answer her prayers gave her a son. She didn’t get to raise Samuel, which must have been heart-wrenching at times, but he went on to lead Israel in their faith and usher in one of the best kings Israel would ever know.
Hoping in God’s plan isn’t guaranteed to be easy, but it is absolutely worth it.
PASSAGES TO READ: 1 Samuel 1:1-20
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
What are you hoping for this Christmas season?
Has there been a time when something didn’t turn out as you hoped it would? Looking back at that situation now, are you thankful or disappointed?
How can you find hope in disappointment or unwanted situations?
PRAYER IDEA: “God, Your plans are so much greater than mine. Thank You for giving me something better than my own abilities to hope in. When my hope is in You and Your abilities, I know that You will cause amazing things to happen, even when I don’t understand what You are doing. Help me trust in Your plans more than my own. Amen.”