1 Samuel 1:15-19: a reflection

15Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have not been drinking wine or strong drink, but I poured out my soul before the LORD. 16Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation.” 17Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.” 18She said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate; and her facial expression wasn’t sad any more. 19They rose up in the morning early and worshiped the LORD, then returned and came to their house to Ramah. Then Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

Hannah, grieving deeply over her childlessness, has been praying so fervently at the temple that the priest Eli thinks she is drunk. But she explains: I am a woman troubled in spirit; I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. She has been bringing her deep sorrow and longing honestly to God, holding nothing back. Eli blesses her; and, the text says, she went away, ate, and her face was no longer sad, even before her prayer was answered.

Notice what Hannah did with her grief, and what came of it. In her bitter distress, she poured out her soul before the LORD, bringing her deepest sorrow honestly to him, holding nothing back. And notice: she went away with her sadness lifted, her face no longer downcast, before she had any assurance that her prayer would be answered. The peace came not from getting what she asked, but from having poured out her soul to God and left it with him.

That shows us what to do with our own deep sorrows, and the peace it can bring. When we are grieving, distressed, longing for what we do not have, we can carry the sorrow alone, or bring it honestly to God, pouring out our souls before him as Hannah did. And there is a peace that can come simply from having poured out our hearts to God and entrusted them to him, even before anything changes. When you are burdened with deep sorrow, do not carry it alone or bottle it up. Pour out your soul before the LORD, as Hannah did, bringing your deepest grief honestly to him, holding nothing back. And trust that a peace can come, even before your circumstances change, from having entrusted your sorrow to the God who hears; the God who remembered Hannah hears and remembers you.

Lord, Hannah, grieving deeply over her childlessness, poured out her soul before you, bringing her deepest sorrow honestly to you, holding nothing back; and she went away with her sadness lifted, her face no longer downcast, even before her prayer was answered. Show me what to do with my own deep sorrows, and the peace it can bring. When I am grieving, distressed, longing for what I do not have, I can carry the sorrow alone, or bring it honestly to you, pouring out my soul before you as Hannah did. And there is a peace that can come simply from having poured out my heart to you and entrusted it to you, even before anything changes. When I am burdened with deep sorrow, keep me from carrying it alone or bottling it up. Help me pour out my soul before you, as Hannah did, bringing my deepest grief honestly to you, holding nothing back. And help me trust that a peace can come, even before my circumstances change, from having entrusted my sorrow to you, who hear. Thank you that you who remembered Hannah hear and remember me.