Three Babies

Our lesson this week centers around a woman's desire to have a child.  In the culture in Hannah's day there was no significance if one did not have children.  Even though her husband tried to console her she was not to be consoled.  So why should we be concerned about something this trivial?  Before I answer that let me tell you about two other babies that brought many people to their knees.  These two babies are from two different parts of the world.
The story from Scotland is not so much about a baby as the babies mom, my niece.  The baby's grandmother, my sister, is a woman of great faith.  She believes that it is important to speak words of healing over her daughter, words of Scripture.  I am not sure where I stand on this.  I believe in healing, I believe in the power of Scripture but I don't believe that power is our power at all but rather in the author of Scripture.  I believe that our prayers must grow out of Scripture and we must claim God's promises.  These promises reflect the character of God and when we claim these promises we are saying to God that it is His character that we are defending.  We need to be very concerned about the character of our God.  Maybe my sister is right, certainly she is a woman of faith and a woman of the Word.
The second story is from my home town.  Our friends had their sixth child this week and this boy was born with a rare disease vein of Galen.  Though I didn't get permission to tell this story I tell it because it is not really about baby James, or the parents but it is a story about our God.  Here is what the father wrote this morning:

1. As many of you have probably heard, our sweet new son, James is coming home tomorrow. God has used this sweet little child to touch the lives of countless people. Just when you think you're going to have a normal child with no complications, and everything is rosie, God does something like this and totally changes your focus. Life really isn't about the hustle and bustle of life and the constan...t worries we face everyday. Sure those things are very real but it's not supposed to be the object of our affection, Christ is. I have been very much reminded of that this week. Although we have an extremely long road ahead of us with many uncertain twists and turns, it's okay because the God who showed himself to be all powerful this week will still be the all powerful God in the future. We still may lose James in the weeks/months/years ahead but he has always been the in the hands of God, and what better place is there to be than that. I really want to thank all of you who have poured out your love, and your prayers to our Heavenly Father for us during this extremely difficult time. I would ask that you still keep us in your prayers as we walk down this road with James. It's been said that God moves in mysterious ways, mysterious to us maybe but not Him. I'm not perfect and as I have journaled this week with many people, I'm thankful that people have been encouraged, challenged and supported. God deserves all the glory for this. I'm reminded of the time when Jesus was teaching some very hard sayings and many of His disciples turned back and left Him. When Jesus turned to His original twelve He asked them if they too wanted to leave. I love the answer Peter gave, "Lord, where else are we going to go, for you alone have the words of eternal life." How absolutely true that is !

This is a man of faith as well.  My heart is touched by both stories.

So what about Hannah?  Wasn't her request trivial?  It seemed trivial in light of my sister's daughter or my friend's son.  There is no request that is too trivial to bring to our God.  We do not know the outcome.  Hannah did not know that this child would change the course of history for the nation of Israel.  Though she made a bargain with God the bargain she made was with what God had given her for what God would do through this child.  We have nothing to bargain with when we come to God.  We can only call upon is mercy and faithfulness.