A CHILD FOR THE CHILDLESS
Written by: Jenny
Calvert
Hannah prayed to the Lord a long time. Eli was watching her
mouth while she was praying. Hannah was praying in her heart. Her lips were
moving, but since she did not say the words out loud, Eli thought she was
drunk. He said to her, “You have had too much to drink. It is time to put away
the wine.”
Hannah answered,
“Sir, I have not drunk any wine or beer. I am deeply troubled, and I was
telling the Lord about all my problems. Don’t think I am a bad woman. I have
been praying so long because I have so many troubles and am very sad.”
Eli answered, “Go in peace. May the God of Israel give you
what you asked for.” 1 Samuel 1: 12-17
(ERV)
In the story above you see a lady named Hannah who is deeply
troubled and had been praying so long and so earnestly that the priest who had
been observing her, thought she was drunk.
She was not drunk on alcohol, but drunk with sorrow. Why? Because Hannah was childless and she so desperately wanted a child, specifically a boy.
When she prayed she made promises to God she said, “If you will give me
a son, I will give him to you. He will be yours his whole life, and as a
Nazirite, he will not drink wine or strong drink, and no one will ever cut his
hair.” 1 Samuel 1:11
God did grant Hannah her request and Hannah kept her
promise. She named the boy Samuel and
gave him back to the Lord
.
Many women ache to have a child but remain childless. One such woman was Wanda. Wanda so earnestly wanted a child but she was
barren. She thought it was hopeless, but
her grandmother knew otherwise. She told
her, “Wanda, you will have a child someday, because God has a special child
just for you.” Her grandmother could see
something that Wanda could not. Eventually, God granted Wanda’s request. She married a man, and this man already had
one child, a girl. Wanda finally had her
child and now she even has grandchildren. God had truly blessed her just as her
grandmother foretold. It’s true that
Wanda did not give birth but she knew God had given her that special child, and
the proof of that fact was in her name, Towanda!
Sometimes a child comes to the childless in many forms. There
are many children who need love. Maybe, it’s a neighbor child who would rather
be at your home than their own. Maybe
it’s a child that is homeless. Maybe
it’s a child from a foreign country. It
may be a nephew or niece or children by marriage. God is good and He sees the yearning in your
heart. When we have love to give to a
child, we must be open to who He sends to be that child.
Dearest Lord,
Thank-you for hearing our prayers. Please be with the many women who yearn to
have a child but remain childless.
Please grant them the desires of their heart by providing that specific child
you have planned for them to love.
Amen
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