I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
When we feel a privation like this we often entreat the LORD about it just as Hannah does. She lacks a son so she asks the LORD for one. When the LORD grants our requests we often respond with thanksgiving and praise just as she does. However, now that the privation is filled we quickly return to our original plan. Our reference to God comes only in our need. Hannah deserves our respect in this regard.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.
This is not to be underestimated. She desires this blessing. She seeks it. She receives it. She receives the child Samuel. And now she offers him back to the LORD. In a way she is like Abraham. He seems to receive the fulfillment of God's promise in Isaac. Yet when the LORD asks it of him he is willing to give him back to the LORD. In some ways the offering to the LORD appears to cancel out the original blessing. But it never actually does. It always becomes more than it ever could if it was simply left to us.
We must not receive blessings and then become strong, or proud, or mighty, or rich. We must look at Mary. She is the most blessed of all mankind but she does not become proud. Even though she receives the richest blessing ever received she does not consider herself rich. She does not settle into some sort of self-sufficiency. She remains hungry for God's plan. She continues to live attentively to his will. She remains lowly even as she as lifted up to the most exulted role. Her secret? Her whole life is an offering of praise to God. Where we turn inward upon ourselves she turns out toward God with ever greater fervor and focus.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
We are blessed and run off on our own. Mary is blessed and presses onward toward the source of blessing. Let us learn from her example.
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”
Let our hearts exult in the Lord our Savior. If we treat the talents and blessings we receive and quantities once given, now limited, to be spent and managed for our own projects, by our own resources, and in our own strength we quickly run out though we once thought ourselves rich. The best part of the good news today is that if we find ourselves poor the LORD is ready to lift us up again.
“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.”
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