At the beginning of the Lent season (the 40 days before Easter), I decided to participate in Lent for the first time in my life. There is a myriad of ways to observe Lent and it’s basically your choice how you do it. I thought I’d try the Daniel Fast, which is basically no processed foods or added sugars. That seemed spiritual to me.
As the days went by, I felt these holy nudges that other things needed to be added to this observance. Things that sting a little more than I was willing to give up. It has been challenging.
I heard someone say a few weeks ago about Lent, “You don’t have to keep Lent perfectly. You just have to keep it holy.” It’s not an attempt to be perfect. It’s choosing to set apart a holy time of worship and communication with God. I was feeling excited about this new experience and kind of proud of myself for choosing to do it.
I decided to do it. I set out to do it. I am blessing God by doing it. Isn’t Jesus so proud?
The other day, a sobering thought landed in my head. What if this time of fasting, that good deed, the desire to change the way I live was never my idea to begin with? What if the God who created the universe, the God who involves Himself in the details of my life, the God who created my very being, the Eternal One nudged and prompted me to behave this way because He has something on His mind?
What if my desire to fast and pray is given to me by God because He has something to say, something He wants to do?
Hannah Makes a Deal with God
(The story of Hannah and Samuel is found in 1 Samuel 1-3 and can be read at this link:
Hannah and her husband Elkanah lived in the territory of Benjamin about five miles north of Jerusalem. This was in the days before the Temple and the Ark of the Covenant resided in the tabernacle at Shiloh. They were devoted to the worship of God and made the two-day journey once a year to Shiloh to offer sacrifices to God at the appointed time.
Elkanah loved and favored Hannah, but she bore no children. Elkanah’s second wife bore him children, causing her to torment Hannah. During one trip to worship God at Shiloh, Hannah was distressed and wandered into the tabernacle to pray to God. Eli, the priest, saw her mouth moving but heard no sound. This was strange behavior in their culture, so Eli accused Hannah of being drunk.
Hannah was praying to God and making a vow that if He would grant her a first-born son, she would dedicate the boy to the service of God at the tabernacle. A vow can be made for any duration. But Hannah chose to vow that the boy would be dedicated to God forever and never cut his hair. (In ancient thought, hair and blood were considered a person’s life essence. A Nazirite vow meant no cutting of the hair.)
Eli accepts her response and blesses her, saying “May the God of peace grant you what you have asked of him” (1 Sam 1:17). Hannah wipes the tears from her face and goes home happy, believing that her prayer is answered. “In the course of time”, Hannah gives birth to a son and names him Samuel. Samuel grew up in the tabernacle and became one of Israel’s greatest prophets. Hannah later gave birth to other children.
Generational Blessings and Curses
Eli and his two sons served as priests at Shiloh. They were of the lineage of Aaron, the brother of Moses. Through the blessing of Aaron at Mount Sinai, all priests came from Aaron’s family line.
But Eli’s two sons were corrupt. They stole from the temple offerings and kept what was given to God. God spoke through Samuel and said that because of their corruption, they would die. Israel was defeated in battle by the Philistines and both sons died. When Eli heard the news, he fell from his seat, broke his neck and died. This brought to an end this family line of priests.
Elkanah and Hannah were devout servants and worshippers of the Lord God. Hannah wanted a baby and cried out to God. That is very human and understandable. I wasn’t there and I don’t know if my 21st century understanding of an ancient story is accurate. But what if it was God’s idea for her to go into the tabernacle and vow to give her first-born son to God’s service? What if God merged her need and her devoted lifestyle with his plan to raise up a new line of priests in his service?
What’s On God’s Heart and Mind
When God sent a man of God to tell Eli that the Lord God would bring judgment on his household, God said through the man of God, “And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind” (1 Sam 2:35).
The story was never about Hannah’s desire for a baby. God had something on His mind and something on His heart to accomplish. Hannah was blessed in the process of God working His will.
It is rather arrogant and silly-hearted for me to think that my decision to be extra spiritual during Lent is somehow doing God a favor. All any of us can do is humbly enter His presence and ask what’s on His mind? If God chooses to speak, we must then have the attitude of the young Samuel and respond, “Speak, Lord for your servant is listening” (1 Sam 3:10).
God’s plans are big. God’s ways and thoughts are beyond our grasp. We are blessed to be included in His work. May we humbly enter His presence with listening hearts.
Part of Hannah’s prayer when she left Samuel at the tabernacle:
“ There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.”
1 Samuel 2:3-5
Copyright@ T A Boland 2024
Image: Unsplash
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