There are many examples of godly mothers in the Bible. One of them is Hannah. She was the mother of Samuel, one of the prophets found in the Old Testament. There are a few things we can learn from her story. Firstly, it teaches us that we should always show compassion towards others, even when we don’t understand what they’re going through. Hannah was unable to have children and it was a huge issue for her. Her husband Elkanah simply said: ‘Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?’ (1 Samuel 1:8 ESV). And Elkanah’s other wife Peninnah provoked and teased her. There will be people on this Mother’s Day who are unable to have children or who have lost children, and we might not be able to understand that grief, but we should react with compassion and sensitivity. Secondly, Hannah knew where to take her sadness. She went to God to tell Him everything. When Eli the priest found her, she told him ‘I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.’ And when we’re facing overwhelming emotions and desperate situations, we need to do the same. God’s always there to listen and comfort us. Finally, we see Hannah keeping her promise to God. When she was praying for a child, she promised that if she had one she would give it to God. When she gave birth to Samuel, she remembered her promise. She said: ‘When the boy is old enough to eat solid food…I will give him to the Lord’ (1 Samuel 1:22 NCV). Hannah was so devoted to God that she was willing to give Him the son she had longed for. That’s the kind of devotion we need to have too.

What Now?

Spend some time reading Hannah’s story (you can find it in 1 Samuel 1 and 2). Then pray for the people who are struggling to cope with this Mother’s Day.