God’s Mysterious Plans

And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. 1 Samuel 2:21 NIV

Often, when troubles and pain strike us, we are tempted to doubt God’s character. We may ask how God could allow this if he is both good and sovereign. But that question implies that God is accountable to us and not us to him and it discards the eternal perspective for the temporal. Joni Ereckson Tada, who has lived her whole adult life as a paraplegic has written a monograph titled, Making Sense of Suffering[1]. In it she describes her journey from confusion and doubt to acceptance and ministry with copious references to scripture. A key concept is developing an eternal perspective.

Hannah’s story is instructive on this subject. She was the favorite but barren wife of Elkanah. The other wife, Peninnah, had a quiver full of children. While they ate the sacrificial meal, Peninnah mercilessly degraded Hannah about her failure to conceive.

Her meal finished, Hannah stood weeping bitterly, mouth moving but forming no words. Priest Eli, mistaking this as drunkenness, rebuked her. ”I’m in deeply anguished prayer”, she replied. Eli reassured her.

Hannah conceived, giving birth to Samuel. Keeping her promise made in prayer, Hannah dedicated Samuel to God. After weaning him, she took him to the House of the Lord, leaving him in Eli’s care and each year taking him new clothes his size.

Imagine Hannah’s anguish consigning her only son, Samuel, to the care of Eli whose own sons were perpetrating unspeakable evil in God’s house. But God made Samuel into one of Israel’s greatest men and he rewarded Hannah with five more children.

Hannah’s story reminds us that deep sorrow and anguish may precede glorious gifts beyond imagination. But receiving God’s in-suffering blessing demands an eternal perspective. And it can require patient endurance and faithful obedience amid trouble and uncertainty.

In her early years, Hannah could not know that her anguish would end in triumph.

Can you trust that your good and sovereign God has a providential plan of future blessing for you, even if the present seems dismal and hopeless?

[1] Hendrickson Publishers 2012