Hannah’s example offers powerful encouragement for Christian women who are walking through disappointment, heartache, or seasons of waiting. Her story reminds us that even when life feels unfair and overwhelming, we can turn to the Lord in prayer and find hope and peace in Him. My prayer is that the biblical truths I learned from Hannah will encourage your heart as much as they have encouraged mine. If you are currently in a season of waiting, you may also find encouragement in my post 5 Bible Passages for Seasons of Waiting.

Who Was Hannah in the Bible? Setting the Scene

When we meet Hannah in 1 Samuel 1, the first things we are told about her is that she was one of the two wives of Elkanah and that she had no children.  Having children was an extremely important part of Israel’s culture at this time.  That’s why men practiced polygamy – so they could have a lot of children.  Even if Hannah was the only wife, her inability to have children would have been distressing.  But couple that with a second wife who has children, and you have a recipe for constant heartache for Hannah, especially since Peninnah provoked (troubled or grieved) her about it.  Elkanah also showed favoritism to Hannah (I Sam. 1:5), which did not help things between her and her adversary.  

Who was Elkanah, her husband?

Elkanah was a Levite who served in the tabernacle each year at his appointed time. The priest at this time is Eli, and his sons were Hophni and Phinehas. His sons were horrible priests who did all kinds of sinful things like stealing food from the people’s sacrifices and practicing temple prostitution.  Eli did not deal with them as he should have, and God’s glory was no longer present in the Tabernacle.  It was a time of spiritual darkness for the nation of Israel. This is the backdrop for Hannah’s story.

What do you think Hannah’s emotional state would have been given her personal circumstances as well as those of her nation?  As we see in verse 6 of I Samuel 1, her adversary made her fret, defined as being violently agitated or irritated.  In verse 8 we read that she was weeping and could not eat.  Clearly, she was in great distress emotionally.  The spiritual darkness of her nation would have added to her despair.

Biblical Lessons for Women from Hannah’s Life

Lesson 1: Choosing Self-Control in Difficult and Unfair Situations

While Hannah was definitely miserable and in distress, it doesn’t appear that she responded unkindly to her husband or Peninnah. I would have been tempted to respond in kind, and I’m sure Hannah had her moments as well.  But although she was sad, it would seem that she did not take out her frustrations on Peninnah or her husband.  

I kinda find it ironic when her husband asks her in verse 8, “Am I not better to thee than ten sons?” Polygamy was common, so I assume the women at that time somewhat accepted it as just the way of life. But this doesn’t mean it made for happy homes. It is definitely not how God originally set up marriage.  Biblical examples of polygamy are always accompanied by strife and heartache.  If I were Hannah, Elkanah’s choice to have another wife who is bearing kids without issue when I can’t have any isn’t exactly warming my heart toward him.  I’m sure her the circumstances of her home tested her love for him.  Even though Elkanah showed special favor and love for her (I Sam. 1:5), the daily challenge she faced trying to make a home with another woman who constantly provoked her would wear on any woman.

When Elkanah took a second wife, Hannah had to have felt like she was not enough. Dealing with that second wife and her children day in and day out would be a constant reminder that she was lacking. I would have been tempted to think, “If you love me so much, why did you do this to me?”  The problems caused by the polygamy and tension in the home had to have placed some amount of stress on their marriage. 

Lesson 2: Turning to God in Prayer When Life Feels Unfair

Going back to the question her husband asked her, Scripture doesn’t record any type of response that she gave to her husband.  It simply tells us what she did next. But what she does next sends a pretty clear message. Here’s what I mean.

Hannah turned to the only Hope she had Who actually had the power to change her situation. Verse 10 records that she prayed to the Lord in bitterness of soul and wept in anguish.  If her husband was actually better to her than ten sons, I frankly don’t think she would have been praying in this way.  She also knew there was nothing more Elkanah could do for her childlessness.   It is clear that Hannah had a strong relationship with the Lord because of how she prays as well as from the song she sang in chapter 2.  I believe her relationship with the Lord is the only way she was able to continue enduring her situation. 

As John MacArthur pointed out on page 97 of Twelve Extraordinary Women, “there’s no suggestion that she ever grumbled against God or badgered her husband about her childlessness.”  She didn’t turn away from God, but instead she ran to Him in prayer.  Sadly, Eli the Priest didn’t recognize her anguish for what it truly was. Instead, he accused her of being drunk when he saw her praying silently. There are definitely things we can learn from Eli and the sad state of his sons, but for now, we’ll just focus on Hannah.  Eli did at least give her a blessing of sorts once she explained her situation to him.

Lesson 3: Faithfulness to God Even After the Answer Comes

Let’s look at Hannah’s vow, which had two parts.  First, she would give her son in service in the tabernacle for life. Second, he would never cut his hair. Both of these things were normally only done temporarily. She was promising that it would be for his entire life. Why do you think Hannah made this vow? There’s no doubt she was sincere in her prayer and had a strong faith in the Lord. I think that given her circumstances, there was probably a combination of desires. She would have had some longing to silence her adversary, Peninnah, but she also desired to find the fulfillment of being a mother.  She did ask in her prayer that God would look on her affliction and remember her.  While we really can’t fully know her motivations, I do believe she did want a child to give to the Lord. When God did finally give her a son, she kept her promise.

How God Blessed Hannah’s Faith and Trust

Blessing 1: Finding Peace by Surrendering Our Burdens to God

Learning to surrender our worries to the Lord and find hope amidst suffering is a journey — one I talk more about in my post Finding Hope in the Midst of Trials. Once Hannah gave her situation to God, she chose to leave it with Him.  She found a sense of peace. Verse 18 says she left and ate and her countenance was no longer sad. Leaving things with God can be hard to do, but she did it.  I know I am pretty good at taking things to God, but then still trying to figure out how to fix them.  Then I give it back to Him and start the cycle again.  MacArthur stated, “Hannah truly laid her troubles in the lap of the Lord, totally confident that He would answer her in accord for what was best for her.”  I pray I can have this same strong faith.   

Blessing 2: God Answered Hannah’s Prayer in His Perfect Time

We don’t know how long it was before she became pregnant with Samuel. But after she gave birth to him, Hannah stayed back and didn’t go for the yearly sacrifice until she had weaned him. Women typically nursed a child for about three years at that time. She would have been able to care for him for this long before she fulfilled her vow.  Hannah would have had to prepare him for the life she had promised in her vow to God, and she had a short time to do it.  She would have taken her role as mother quite seriously.  As we see later in the book, God had His hand on Samuel’s life as well. He became a powerful prophet for change for God’s people.  Hannah visited him at least yearly and brought him a new coat.

Blessing 3: God’s Abundant Blessings Beyond What Hannah Expected

God gave Hannah five more children. What a relief for her!  I’m sure things were not a bed of roses after this because she was still dealing with a second wife in the home. But the ammunition her rival had used against her was now gone.  She was no longer childless, and she could be the mother she had always desired to be.  Our culture now is very different and does not regard motherhood as highly as it once did.  Regardless, motherhood is still a high calling for us as women.  Raising children is not an easy job.  For Hannah, though, this was the primary goal of any woman at that time, and a shameful thing when it couldn’t happen.  Her shame was now finally removed.  Her perceived value in that culture was restored.  God had blessed her for her faithfulness in keeping her vow with Samuel.

Blessing 4: Renewed Joy and Emotional Healing through Faith 

We see this in her praise to God in chapter 2.  What a beautiful anthem to God and a wonderful reminder of Who He is and all He can do!  We could spend another lesson on these verses alone, but I would encourage you to spend some time reading them and noting all the things we can learn about God from them. 

Final Encouragement for Women Walking Through Hard Seasons

Hannah’s story is a powerful reminder for Christian women that we can trust God even when life feels unfair and overwhelming. Her example teaches us to bring our heartaches to the Lord in prayer, to remain faithful in difficult seasons, and to leave our burdens in His hands. Just as God worked in Hannah’s life, He is able to work in ours as well—often in ways we could never imagine.

If you are walking through a hard or uncertain time, I pray that these lessons from Hannah will encourage your heart and strengthen your faith. God sees your struggles, hears your prayers, and cares deeply for you. If you find yourself in a season of waiting, you may also find hope and practical encouragement in my post Three Lessons on Waiting Well. I would love to hear how Hannah’s story has spoken to you, so feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. May the Lord bless and encourage you today!

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Ministry Update

We are still looking for the next ministry God would have for us. My husband has been in communication with a church, but there is nothing concrete yet. We are just praying about it and seeking counsel right now. We’re still playing the waiting game!

In light of this, I thought I would share some lessons I’ve learned about waiting well while in this waiting season. We all have them, and they are not usually easy. My waiting season has felt extremely looooong. I won’t go into all the details now, but suffice it to say, it has been a trying waiting season for me. I have felt despair, hopelessness, and doubt in God. But I know that I can’t stay there. These are not healthy places to be, and we have to pull through them. Sometimes I have literally said to myself, “If you aren’t going to trust God in this, what is your alternative?” So then I find another Bible study, or study through a particular theme of verses in my journal, or read another book from someone else who has faced hard things, or talk through it with my husband yet again. Having struggles as a Christian isn’t wrong. It’s how we handle them that matters. We have to keep turning to the Word and to people and books that point us there.

Waiting Well Lesson 1

When you’re in a waiting season, keep going back to God’s Word, even if you don’t feel like it. I wrote another post (check it out here) a while back with verses to help in seasons of waiting. This is a good place to start if you’re in your own waiting season. I have studied verses on themes like resting in God (you can find this verse study plan here) and hope, as I mentioned in my last post. Obviously, studying verses about God’s faithfulness or His love would be excellent studies as well. Sometimes I have had to just do the right thing even if my emotions weren’t on board with it. Turning to God’s Word is always the right thing. Learning to wait well requires us to intentionally focus our attention on God and Who He is. You can check my resources page for more ideas on Bible studies.

Waiting Well Lesson 2

Find something new to learn and focus your attention on. Last summer, I found a watercolor painting class in our area that my daughter and I went to once a week for about a month. We’re both creative types, and I thought this would give us something fun to do together and dabble in a new skill. We really enjoyed it, and it gave us something else to think about in our waiting season. Right now, I am learning how to make passive income online. I bought an online course to help me learn, and once again, it gives me something to focus my energies on while we are waiting for God’s direction. It is also teaching me new skills that I can carry into the future regardless of where we end up. I don’t want to waste this waiting season. There are things to learn, both spiritually and practically, that can help us grow even while we are waiting.

Waiting Well Lesson 3

Don’t forget to enjoy the little moments each day. It can be easy to miss the beauty of each day when we are waiting because we get so focused on a future moment when we hope our waiting finally ends. If you’re waiting season is short, focusing on it being over won’t have such an impact, but if you’re waiting season is long, as mine has been, you will miss so many special moments if you don’t take the time to note them. I haven’t been very consistent at this, but as I write this, I am reminded that I need to get back to writing these down. I did well for a while and fell away from it when we were in transition last fall. But it is helpful to write down ways you saw God work, or something funny that happened with your kids, or a fun thing you did as a family that day. It can be anything, but it helps to keep focusing on the good moments that are happening even in the midst of a hard waiting season. I have an app that I use to try to note something I’m thankful for each morning as well. It’s these little things that help you keep getting up each day and hoping in God.

I trust these lessons I’m learning will be helpful to any of you who are in a waiting season. If you aren’t in one now, you probably will be at some point. They come to all of us, so tuck these things away for a future time when you might need them. Have a honey-filled day, and don’t forget to find some beauty today!

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My family faced a lot of challenges this past year, and we are still facing of some of them. I found myself struggling not to lose hope that things would turn around eventually. I’ve struggled to believe that God was really taking care of us (though He always is). One of the passages on hope that I studied recently is Romans 5:3-5: 

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us.” 

We find joy in our spiritual growth.

One thing to note is that we find joy in tribulation not from the trial itself, but from what the trial is producing in us. Trials produce patience (endurance), experience or character (another translation states “proven character”), and hope.  For myself, it can be extremely hard to find joy in any trial in and of itself. However, with God’s help, I can strive to focus on finding joy in the things I am learning through the trial.  It is a relief to know that we don’t have to be happy about some of the tough things we go through…that would be really hard.  But we find joy in the trial because of the growth we experience from it.  I can wrap my head around that a little better!  

Hope is produced in us.

Another thing I discovered in my study is that hope is something that is produced in us when we go through a trial.  I realized that hope isn’t necessarily something we already have, but it is something we can develop from the trial.  I found encouragement by this especially because hanging on to hope can be challenging in some of the tough circumstances we face…death of a loved one, unexpected financial loss, chronic illness, etc.  However, as I struggle to hang on to hope during my trial, my faith is being tested and growing.  I either trust God is in control of things, or I don’t.  My hope grows as my faith grows.  The more I choose to trust Him in spite of what I’m facing, the more hope I have.  

While we know our only true hope is in God and our eternal hope of Heaven if we’ve trusted Christ, sometimes finding hope in the daily grind of life’s challenges is daunting.  Take comfort in the fact that your hope is something that can grow as you grow in Christ.  The more you seek Him and know Him and cling to His Word, the stronger your hope in Him will become.

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter below so you don’t miss any of my new posts!  Have a honey-filled day!

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You know how sometimes we read scripture, and although it resonates, it feels like there’s more lurking beneath the surface? That’s where this journal steps in. Instead of just reading, it’s about diving deep, breaking down verses, and discovering connections, truths, and consistencies in the Bible that can sometimes elude us. It’s like having a roadmap to the treasures hidden within scriptures.

The part that excites me the most? It’s more than just a study tool. It prompts you to reflect on what God reveals about Himself and about us. It’s like having a dialogue with the Scripture itself.

Verse Mapping Plans

You can find several themed verse mapping plans on their website to help give you a jumpstart, but I’m also including a free one here that I put together on finding rest in the Lord. The journal is a very well made hardback book and comes in regular or spiral binding. I have the spiral bound one because I like it to lay flat when it’s opened. They also have a Scripture memory journal and several accessory items. Just enter your email below, and I’ll send you your free verse mapping plan on Resting in the Lord, and be sure to check out the journals at their website here.

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Lamentations 3:24-26

The Lord is my portion, says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him! The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

This passage reminds us to keep hoping in the Lord because He is good, no matter what. It also challenges us to keep seeking to know Him more through life’s challenges and to be quiet in our spirits rather than complaining about our circumstances. He is my portion…He is enough for us to be content even when we feel we are lacking something we need.

Psalm 27:13-14

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

David is sharing his own struggle with waiting. We don’t know what specific circumstance prompted him to write this psalm, but his story contains several instances where he could have felt this way. I know that I have definitely felt like losing heart over the past couple of years of waiting. However, David’s hope was in God’s goodness in his season of waiting, and he reminds us that we can hope in the goodness of our God as well. He challenges us to wait on Him, to have courage as we continue facing the trial, and to rely on God’s strength for each moment.

Psalm 62:5-8

My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

There is a lot in this passage, but some key thoughts are, again, to wait silently (so hard!), yet the end of the passage invites us to pour out our hearts to Him. Being silent isn’t necessarily refraining from talking to the Lord about our struggle, but stopping ourselves from looking to someone or something else for refuge. As David points out, God ONLY is my rock, salvation, defense, and refuge…not anything else we may try to look to. We should trust in HIM at all times…not anything else. It is so easy to turn to other things for comfort and help. But nothing else will fill our longing. He is a refuge for us. As we seek to faithfully endure our waiting season, we can pour out our hearts to Him and know that He will give us the comfort and help that we so desperately crave.

Psalm 130:5-7

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning–Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.

This passage reminds us once again to wait for the Lord, and to find our hope in His Word. Sometimes it will feel as if we are waiting on someone or something else to act, but God is ultimately in charge of everything, and we really must realize that He will cause the thing we are waiting for to happen in His time and way. Our hope is in Him, not someone else. The encouraging thing is that He does give mercy and abundant redemption. He can “buy back” what feels lost while we are waiting and provide the mercy we need to cope with our circumstances.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Finally, we must remember that this life on earth is but a vapor. When we are in the midst of a waiting season or any other trial, time can feel endless. But one way or another, the trial will end, whether it be here on earth or when Christ returns. We must keep our eyes on the eternal and allow God to prune and grow us through our struggle. I don’t say that lightly…I know it is hard. I’ve wrestled through this myself because no one likes to go through hard things. We wonder why God can’t grow us some other way, but if we’re honest, we know that the greatest joys are often borne out of great struggle.

In your season of waiting, be sure to look for the beauty in every day…the small things that you might often overlook, the little things that God does to encourage you along the way and keep you going. Keep a journal or list of these things. When this season ends, it will be a great reminder of what God did as well as an encouragement when the next trial comes your way. You may need to use it to encourage someone else in their trial. Check out my post on God’s amazing love for us and this one on Joseph’s season of waiting for some extra encouragement. I would also recommend the book Trusting God by Jerry Bridges. It is an excellent study.

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Last week I was feeling very overwhelmed with all. the. things. I was behind on some things, and homeschooling is starting up soon. We have company coming for several days, and on and on it goes. My head was spinning a bit. My husband saw the overwhelm and offered to take the kids elsewhere for a day so I could get some focused time to catch up on some things. It only ended up being for the afternoon instead of the whole day, but it was super helpful!

A few ideas to reduce overwhelm

If you’re feeling a bit “under it all,” perhaps a friend or family member could take your kids for a morning or afternoon to allow you to get some things done uninterrupted. If not, I know that doing a brain dump can be super helpful…just write everything down that’s swirling around in your head. Getting it on paper or in a to-do app where you can try to make some sense of it can be a great stress reliever. (I recently started using an app called Planmore, and I’m really liking it!) When you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember you only have to face today, or even the next few minutes. God’s grace is there for today, and it will be there again for tomorrow. The following verses remind us where to keep our focus as we go through each day. Pray a lot, meditate on the following verses, and have a sweet day!

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:33-34, NKJV

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What IEW requires from me

It is taking a little more time on my part, especially with my younger two since it’s our first year. I put my younger two (5th and 6th grades) in Structure and Style 1A, and my 10th grader in Structure and Style 1C. Erica over at Confessions of a Homeschooler recommended watching the video each week along with your kids. I did not go through the actual teacher training, but Erica said that it worked fine to just watch the kids video along with them. I have found this to be accurate. The student videos also give enough direction for me to be able to guide my older one without having to actually watch his video as well.

I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to go with the next levels in Structure and Style next year or jump over to the themed studies they offer. The themed studies look interesting, but they do not include a video. My kids actually enjoy the videos because Andrew Pudewa is engaging and interesting to listen to. They like seeing the other kids in the class as well. I will probably wait until close to the end of the school year to determine which direction I want to go for next year, but I’m leaning toward sticking with the videos and Structure and Style to make sure my kids have a good solid foundation with the writing process.

Hopefully, this is a help to you as you are deciding about what curriculum choices you want to make. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. I will try to answer as many as I can. Hope your day is sweeter than honey!

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This verse popped up in my You Version Bible app today, and it’s such a great reminder for us all—especially us Mommas as we deal with our children each day. We all need to strive to use pleasant words! Since it’s also the theme of my blog, I couldn’t help but share it with you. Hope it’s a blessing to you today!

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I’m also cooking corned beef for the first time. It’s in the crockpot, and seems pretty simple to make, so we’ll see! I don’t plan to add the cabbage because I’m quite sure that won’t go over very well with my family, but I’ll probably add some potatoes. I’ll roast some asparagus to add something green and maybe add some green grapes for more green! I also printed off a cute little shamrock craft to make. (Here’s a bunch more craft ideas.) My teen son probably won’t get too much of a kick out of it, but I might be able to convince him to join us… we’ll see! During lunch, we’re going to watch the Torchlighter’s movie about St. Patrick to learn a bit more about him.

Hope you have a fun St. Patrick’s Day with your family!

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