Steven A. Bush - May 11, 2014
From Sad Wife To Glad Mom
Hannah was the mother of Samuel and certainly among the stellar women of God featured throughout the Scriptures. Unable to bear a child (and chided viciously by her husband's other wife) she cried out to God for help. Her tear stained vow was to dedicate her firstborn son to the Lord and when God enabled her to conceive, she gave birth to Samuel. Hannah stayed true to her word and her firstborn was raised in the house of the Lord. Samuel would usher in the era of Israel's monarchy, anointing Saul and David as her first two kings. Hannah's anguish was turned into great joy and she expressed her gratitude in a song, the lyrics of which have blessed us for 3,000 years. In the same way, God's only Son--Jesus, went to the cross and rose from the dead to turn our sin stained anguish into great joy. It is in Christ Jesus that our mourning is turned into dancing, that our sackcloth is removed and we are girded up in gladness.