A Burden Lifted

This blog is dedicated to my daughters, who both encourage me on a regular basis.

I would encourage you to read I Samuel 1:1-20. It’s the story of how God eventually answers Hannah’s prayers for a son. The passage tells us that she was “very discouraged” and “downhearted” because God hadn’t answered her prayers. She “was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord.”

Most of us have experienced being discouraged and downhearted. We can relate to Hannah’s response to her seemingly unanswered prayers. Sometimes it’s challenging to wait for God to answer the cry of our heart.

What I found amazing as I reread this passage was Hannah’s response to Eli’s words in verse 17. He merely says, “Go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of Him.” And “then Hannah went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.” (vs. 18)

God still hadn’t answered her prayers, but Eli’s words of encouragement and reminder of God’s faithfulness lifted her burden. She was no longer sad. She had hope again.

Think about it. Eli didn’t answer Hannah with an eloquent speech or applicable scripture. He just told her to go in peace and wait for God to answer. How simple is that? I hope that God will bring this to mind the next time I meet someone who is discouraged and downhearted! To simply and sincerely say, “Go in peace! May God answer your prayers.” A little bit of encouragement certainly can go a long way!

“Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” Colossians 4:6