Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10
Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.“
The opening chapters of 1 Samuel tells us of a woman named Hannah. She is one of the wives of Elkanah, and she seems to be his favorite of the two women. Elkanah has children through his other wife, but Hannah remains barren and childless. The other woman taunts and teases Hannah until she is angry and bitter with tears. The Bible is relatively silent on Hannah’s attitude during this, but she seems to be very meek. We don’t read of her making a fuss or stirring up trouble. She appears to be teased to tears, and then shuts down from others so she can weep. Her heart is heavy with sadness, yet she doesn’t appear to fight back. Hannah could have returned fire by boasting in being the favorite wife of Elkanah, but she doesn’t.
As we read the story, the only place Hannah is able to find peace is when she has poured out her heart to the Lord. Her prayer is not heavy with words, but actually empty of words. She prays from her heart and through her tears. As we read, we find our hearts warmed and joyful when we read verses 19-20, “And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son…” God remembered Hannah pouring out her heart to Him, and at the right time, God blessed her with a son. This child, Samuel, will grow up to play a significant role in Israel’s history, and rightly so! He is born to a woman who appears to have been meek and devoted. She humbled herself before the Lord, confessed her weakness and bitterness to Him, and she was blessed by God because of it. In her weakness, God was strong. In her meekness, God blessed her greatly.
Application: Meekness is often associated with weakness. This is not the case! It is much more accurate to match meekness with humility. Meekness is not trusting in your own strength and knowledge, but in trusting the Lord to fight for you. We are all very defensive of areas we are weak in. We may overcompensate to distract from our weakness, or we may point out obvious weak areas in others. Meekness means handing your weakness over to God and trusting Him to be strong for you. After God answered her prayer, Hannah prayed this in 1 Samuel 2:9, “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail.” It will not be the strength, knowledge and creativity of man the grants success, but the presence and work of God. Do not be afraid to be meek before the Lord. In your meekness, He is strong.
