Today’s Quiet Time Theme is God Remembers – Jan 23, 2023 (MON)
God Remembers
1 Samuel 1:19-28
Scripture (NIV)
¹⁹ Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.
²⁰ So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.”
²¹ When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,
²² Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always.”
²³ “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
²⁴ After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.
²⁵ When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli,
²⁶ and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.
²⁷ I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.
²⁸ So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.
Reflection
Heard by God (1:19–23)
The Lord remembers Hannah and gives her a son, and Hannah remembers her promise to God. The meaning of Samuel’s name is “heard by God” or “God hears.” This name is a reminder not only of his mother’s answered prayer but of his own relationship with God: throughout his life, Samuel hears God, and God hears Samuel. In many ways, Samuel’s lifelong relationship with God is the fruit of his mother’s faithfulness. Hannah’s care for Samuel and commitment to God are inseparably woven together as she prepares for the day that she will entrust him in God’s hands. Likewise, our responsibility as parents or guardians is to raise our children to love the Lord and devote their lives to Him.
Which of your family members or friends has had the biggest impact on your relationship with God? Who are some younger believers that you are influencing to walk in God’s ways?
Given to God (1:24–28)
The sacrifices we make and the gifts we give to the Lord result in blessings for us and others. Many Bible scholars believe that Hannah’s sacrifice of a three-year-old bull points to Samuel’s age when she gives him to God. As Hannah offers up her beloved son, who is still a small child, we witness her faith in God’s provision and protection. Through this one woman’s sacrifice, God will raise up a great and godly leader whose leadership will be vital for the nation of Israel in the years to come. Strong communities of faith are built on the sacrifices of God’s people—those who love the Lord and are willing to give up even their most precious treasures for His sake.
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What are some ways God has multiplied the impact of the gifts you have offered Him? How have you benefited from the giving of others?
Prayer
Lord, grant me the faith to make the sacrifices necessary to build up Your church and Your kingdom with the resources You have given me. May I look beyond myself as I seek to serve You. In Jesus’ name, amen.