Hannah, an examplary woman

Hannah is a woman of faith, who still believe God could turn her situation around for good. She was married to a man called Elkanah for many years before she eventually gave birth to Samuel. During the time of her barreness, Elkanah always took his family to Shiloh to worship every year (Exodus 23:14-19). Peninnah who was the second wife of their husband always scorn and make mockery of Hannah because she has no child, as people always mock barren women nowadays too. Yet Elkanah loves Hannah the most and won't let anything to depress or make her down.

Hannah will always went to the temple and pray to God for a child and eventually God answered her prayer, she beget Samuel who later became a great prophet in Isreal.

Some great lessons I learnt from Hannah's life are;

1. Hannah persevered in times of challenges. The Bible told us how peninnah will always mock and tease her older wife Hannah. But yet Hannah knew in her mind that God's purpose for her life will be accomplished either soon or later. She did not become of her barrenness become toxic or file for divorce. She keeps persevering and waiting on God till God answered her prayer. During their annual visit to the Tabernacle, Peninnah always use the opportunity to irritate her rival and make fun of her barrenness. She always look down on her senior wife, all these should hold Hannah down but she didn't bulged or retaliated, she persevere and her perseverance later paid her.

2. She was a faithful woman who kept the vow she made to God about giving her first child back to God. Many of us in this present age do not always keep our vow with God and God always take vow seriously. When some are in some kind of a problem, they will vow to God that they will do something for him if he helped them overcome their challenges. Many times when they triumphed over the challenges, they forget God and the vow they made. Hannah was not like this, she was faithful to her promise to God by dedicating Samuel to God all his life.

She was also faithful to her husband because she didn't commit adultery on the excuse of searching for a child as many do today. She is faithful to her God and her husband. This is a lesson for many of us today.

3. She is a woman of faith. She trusted God solely for solution to her problems(2 Peter 2:9). Many today will rather go to the devil because they have a problem and along the way compounded more problems for themselves and their families. Hannah solely believe in God. She did not cut corners like other believers today who will go to herbalists and fraudsters who can't solve their problems. She knew that all solutions to life challenges come from God and him alone. She knew that solutions from God is always permanent and valid. She believed totally in God and she was not disappointed.

4. She is a woman of prayer. She paid the price through her persistence in prayer. Whenever we have problems and even if we do not have, prayer is still an indispensable weapon we need as believers. Prayer helps us to communicate with our Lord and creator. Are you passing through some challenges and you haven't prayed about it? This is the time to do so. Our God answered Hannah and is still answering till date. Cast all your burdens before him. Learn from the travails of Hannah and how she was able to overcome it. Your problem is not permanent, it's only temporal and will pass away with time.

Trust and believe it in God, don't cut corners. It doesn't always worth it in the long run.