As you know, it is Mother's Day. This is a special day for mothers, that was started in the United States by a sunday school. One of the students of that particular sunday school had remembered her dead mother by placing her mother's favourite flower, a carnation, on her tomb stone. One of her sunday school teachers, the owner of a local department store, happened to observe her doing this, and was inspired to create 'Mother's Day'.

There are quite a few women, in the Bible, who can be considered ideal mothers. Hannah was one of these. Looking back into the history of Israel, we notice that Samuel did a vital job in leading the God's faithful Hebrew people. At the time of his birth, there had been chaos among the Israelites. He became a blessing to them in ruling over them as their Judge. However, before Samuel, his mother and father had been chosen by God. In the history of Israel it was customary for a man to have more than one wife. Husbands who stood between their wives suffered a lot. [So don't go thinking that it is a wise practice!] Though Hanah's husband, Elikanah, was a faithful and holy man, he did have problems. It sometimes happens that very faithful people suffer more than uncaring people. This is because the faithful can 'see' or recognise problems more clearly, and knowledge of this causes suffering. [Hence, the european saying: Ignorance is Bliss.]

Hannah, who was also a faithful believer, had a problem, too. She was crying from the enmity that existed between herself and her husband's first wife, Peninnah. And also from the bitterness of being unable to bear her husband a child. Here, through her attitude towards God, we find a good example of a person solving difficult problems. She went to God, and she was not negative! See Ro.8:28.

Do not try to solve problems through your own power! Ask for God's help in solving them. When I think about these things, I always remember a certain Christian, who used to own a big record company in Japan. He said to me that whenever he was involved in problems, he asked Jesus, "What would You do, Lord?"

Anyway, back in the story of Hannah, we find that she was patient, even in Peninnah's meanness, and jealousy. She was patiently bearing her pain. Jeremiah 33:3 says "Call on me, and I will answer and tell you the great and unsearchable things that you don't know." When you come to God, He will surely provide you with greater answers than you can imagine. His answers are always beyond our understanding, imagination, and expectations. Hannah did exactly what Jeremiah encourages us to do. She was weeping and pouring out her soul to God.

The other day, I had a chance to watch a video about Christians who used to be members of the 'Yakuza' (the Japanese Mafia). Now those people have a ministry called "Mission Barnabas". Some of them are now pastors, and this ministry travels all over Japan, and occasionally to the United States of America. In order for such people to be saved there had first been much prayer and tears by their Christian wives. One of those ladies testified that whenever they prayed for their husbands, they couldn't help but weep in repentance. When we pray to God, with full hearts, it leads us into repentance.

Probably Hannah experienced this kind of prayer at the Temple. She prayed and fasted over her dilemma. After the prayer, she was not what she had been before. Her faith in God worked perfectly, and was able to grasp the belief that she would have a son. This belief came directly from her faith in God. In spite of the same bad situation, her attitude towards God had fully changed. She had a strong belief that she would have a baby. After the prayer, she received God's peace. Refer please to Hebrews 11:1. Like Hannah, who kept believing in Him, we are to continue asking God to help us, without giving up. As she believed, she had a baby. Although it was only for a short time that she kept the baby to herself.

After she had weened Samuel, she committed him to God in the hands of a priest, who had terrible sons. I would very much hesitate to send my children to such a man. But, here again, I see Hannah's faith in God. She considered and knew that her vow to God was a priority. It must have been very hard for her to leave her son. But, she knew that he was from God, and we also need to offer our children to Him.

The deed that Abraham did with his son, Isaac, was very much like what Hannah did. He also offered his son. After he offered Isaac to God, his son must have also been very much changed.

Parents need to offer their children to God, and then raise them in faith and prayer. We are to follow the example that Hannah has given us in placing our faith in God.

Translated by Junko Okamoto - Edited for the Net by Shido
For another sermon see: Oita Evangelical Christ Church
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