That's What Faith Does

 

That’s What Faith Does

1 Samuel 1:18 “And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.”

Hebrews 11;1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

     Hannah was sick, sick to the bone.  Elkanah’s other wife jabbed at her and struck her where it hurt.  “You can’t have any kids!  Hardy dee har har!  You may get double portions, but I give him what he loves.  It’s called children Hannah.”

     This was a yearly thing at Shiloh.  Can you imagine the sore thumb on the calendar.  “Oh, it’s sacrificing time again.  Wish I could just stay home.”  Elkanah didn’t know the depth of his wife’s pain.  “Ain’t I’s better than ten kinder to yuh Hannah?”  He then slipped her a bit more grub and thought she could eat her way out of depression.  Didn’t work.

     Hannah said no to the food, save the drink, and took her tears to the house of the Lord to knock on His door.  Muttering what it looked like Templeton Rye in her gut, Eli caught wind and thought he’d reinforce the rules for a change.

     “Hey Honey!  Yah you.  Don’t you be bringin’ your alcohol up here.  It’s the Lord’s house.  I seen your lips moving.  Now get on.”

     “But no my master.  Not had a tipsy bit.  I am in sore anguish of soul.  Sees mah counterpart, well she’s got a violent tongue.  Wantin’ to give me whippings seens how I ain’t got a child of my own.  Been so sad.”

     “Well shoot!  That gives me a wonder.  Yooze Elkana’s girl, right?  May God give you what you been fussin’ about.  He hears.”

     And then she changed.  It’s like Hannah took the medicine.  Her face lit up.  She went back to the party and had something to eat.  One stop at the holy place turned it all around.  But it wasn’t the church.  It wasn’t the preacher.  Transformation took hold in her tormented soul.  She had believed.

     Now Eli certainly helped.  Like vocalizing out her prayers, Hannah bounced them off another person.  She respected Eli, but he didn’t make the magic happen.  He was only there to confirm what she already felt.  She took her distress to God thinking He would hear.  And He certainly did through Eli.

     Disrupted while in deep meditation, a man’s voice pardoned her prayer.  Her fear mixed with his kindness sparked faith within.  Eli called Hannah to the carpet and found her asking legit.  Then she smiled all the way back to Elkanah.

     Faith is the substance of things hoped for.  It is tangible food to the soul.  It is the evidence of things not seen.  Faith’s logic to the mind transcends any doubtful condition.

     It worked for Hannah.

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