The Book of Ruth is a love story. A down-and-out widow finds redemption In the comfort and care of a “deliverer.” Boaz takes on the responsibility of caring for Ruth and her mother-in-law. The two women find peace with Boaz’s protection and providential care. 1st Samuel begins with a different kind of love story. It’s between Elkanah and two women, Hannah and Peninniah. Hannah finds care and comfort through her faith in God. She does what she can to solve her problem, then leaves it to God. It seems that Elkanah married Hannah for love and Peninniah for children, for Hannah was barren. You can bet that Peninniah, like Hagar before her, took advantage of her situation. You can hear her taunt Hannah, “God’s punishing you! There is something about your character or some secret sin in your life that prevents God from blessing you with children.” I think that Hannah might have begun to believe her! She wept bitterly, and her husband argued that she should be satisfied with just having him. He didn’t comfort her. She looked elsewhere for comfort.
Hannah, with great bitterness of soul, turns to God! She pleads with him to deliver her from her predicament and promises to dedicate the child to Him for a lifetime of service. Without commenting on the appropriateness of her promise to God, I can’t help but notice that she came to God in misery. She had been praying, weeping, and fasting. Eli, the Priest, even thought she was drunk because of her erratic behavior. When he understood her problem, he said, in 1 Samuel 1:17, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition.” Then, Verse 18 says, “She went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.”
Philippians 4:6-7 are familiar verses. The New Living Translation puts it this way: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then, you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
All of our cares and problems are in good hands when we give them to God.