August 17, 2007

Love makes no demands

While my devotional guide is about Saul, the man Samuel anointed to be king, I am still thinking about Samuel, Hannah’s little boy that she “lent to the Lord for the rest of his life.”

As a mother who knows the reality of giving my children over to the Lord, I recognize from this story that my expectations have been unrealistic. I’d hoped God would take them and make them perfect. However, in taking Samuel, perfection didn’t happen.

Samuel had his moments, in fact many of them. He was an ‘anointer of kings’ and gave direction to men who would lead the nation. He said to Saul, “You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do.”

Later, he would anoint David to replace Saul, showing great discernment in his choice. But his life had a flaw; he was not a strong parent and seemed to have no discernment regarding his own sons. 1 Samuel 8:1 says he made his sons judges over Israel even though verse three says, “But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.”

I’ve had trouble with wanting to see the best in others, and being content with partial progress, particularly with my children. Lately I’ve been asking God to change me because I know He has the first goal, but He is much more patient than I am when someone takes a long time to get there. As I read about Samuel this morning, I wonder what Hannah was thinking as she watched her son grow. Maybe she died before these things happened, but if not, I’m sure she was proud of him.

One of my commentaries says, “During all these dreary years Samuel was a spiritual power in the land. From Ramah, his native place, where he resided, his influence went forth on every side among the people. With unwearied zeal he went up and down from place to place, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting the people, endeavoring to awaken in them a sense of their sinfulness, and to lead them to repentance. His labors were so far successful that ‘all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.’” [1.

Even though her son was important to her, I’m sure her grandsons were too. How did she feel when she realized her son was making mistakes with them? Did she blame herself for not being around to teach him parenting by her example? Did she yearn for a greater role in the life of these grandsons so they would love God and become men of integrity?

Giving up Samuel to the Lord did not mean he would become a perfect man. Maybe she had to give up her grandchildren too, knowing they would not be perfect.

Giving up my children to the Lord is the same. They are not perfect, and as I watch them be human, make mistakes, but also do amazingly good things, again I need to remember Hannah. She didn’t give God any criteria of what to do with her little boy. She just gave him over, willing to allow God to do with Samuel whatever He pleased. I need that same trust in Him for the lives of my children and my grandchildren.

[1. M.G. Easton, Easton's Bible Dictionary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996, c1897).

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