I don’t believe there is anything in this world that can bring so much joy to our lives like parenting. But, with this joy can also come great pain, discouragement and insecurities like never before. That is the irony of being a parent. I have learned so much from the story of Hannah that I want to share some lessons that have meant so much to me.
Let me give you a quick summary of her story as written in 1 Samuel:1:8-28:
- Hannah was barren.
- She wept bitterly to the Lord for a child.
- The Lord answered her prayer and gave her a child.
- She dedicated that child to God before he was born.
- When Samuel was born, she taught him to worship the Lord.
- She took him to the temple to minister with Eli at a young age to live for the rest of his life.
From this story I learn three things that I must do. Today I want to share one of those with you.
It is our responsibility to:
1. Dedicate my child/children to the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:10-11(please print the verses if it isn’t too long)
Hannah could not have children so she prayed to the Lord to give her a child. She cried out to the Lord and wept bitterly. So much so that Eli, the priest thought she was drunk. As a result the Lord answered her prayer and gave her a child.
The child was Samuel and Hannah dedicated him to the Lord before he was born because she knew he was God’s child first. This was an example to me of what I should do with my children so here are some of the things I learned from this:
- For each of my children I told the Lord that they are His first and I want to raise them to be a strong soldier for Him, a soldier in His army.
- I asked the Lord to use them for His glory and that they would love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength just as Mark 12:30 says.
- I dedicated them to Him from the beginning, including:
- When I was pregnant,
- After they were born—Steve and I dedicated them when they were babies in front of our church at a special service.
- As they grew I would dedicate them often— when I would get discouraged or when their actions weren’t what I thought they should be. I would dedicate them to God again and remind myself by saying to Him, “They are yours Lord, help me to release them to You because you love them more than I do! And because You love them more than I do then You will work all things together for good like Romans 8:28 says. Please Lord, do so quickly!”
When we dedicate our children to God we are exercising our faith.
We are trusting Him to do something we can’t do, but He must do. This is a great way to learn how to abide with Him, grow in our trust in Him and receive His peace while we wait on His answers. So, whatever situation you find yourself in today…remember there is no better time than the present to dedicate your children to the Lord and release all your cares upon Him.
Cast your burdens upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22
In His Love,
Lori
About Lori Merrill
Lori Merrill is the Founder/Director of Keepers Ministry and author of several Bible studies including—Called to be a Keeper, Jesus, Our Perfect Example and Little Keepers, Curriculum for Girls and their Moms. She is married to Steve and they have three children of their own, but added two more when their only daughter and oldest son married last year. She and Steve are enjoying their new season of life as “not totally empty-nesters” with their golden retrievers Boone and Tucker. Lori’s passion is teaching others the truths of God’s Word, how to live according to it, and how this results in a life of freedom and fulfillment. You can learn all about the ministry at KeepersMinistry.com