Verse:

“As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, that he may appear in the presence of the LORD, and remain there forever; I will offer him as a Nazirite for all time.”

1 Samuel 1:22 (NRSV)

Thought:

Just a child, Hannah led Samuel to Eli, the priest at Shiloh. This was not for a mere visit, but he was to be left there to become a Nazirite. Someone, this child, or rather the hope of having this child was what Hannah wanted with all of heart, yet she was now leaving him there at the temple. How difficult this must have been, how troubling it seems, even today.

Hear the Good News, God does not ask us for more than we can do, nor do we offer more to God than we can do. Deals are made, promises introduced, but closing the deal and living up to the promise and keeping it, these are the real tasks at hand, aren't they? A Bermuda fisherman floating and bobbing in the ocean for 20 hours is picked up by a US military ship. If he spends much longer floating on debris, his is done for, but he is spotted and saved. What must his thoughts have been? What promises were made? The ship, as it turns out, was a medical ship. Aboard the USS Comfort, he is the lone person needing medical attention, on a ship with 12 operating rooms and the capability of treating 1000 patients a day. Hannah pleads with God for a child. She bears a son. As as she promised offers Him to God, giving back with great joy, all that God has given to her. Commitment is why. Understanding is why. A covenant and a promise is why Samuel is brought to the Temple. How are you with commitment? We must search our hearts and ask ourselves if we are living up to the commitments we have made. How about our faith, our promise from Baptism and/or Confirmation to be God's child?

Prayer: