I Samuel 1:9-10
“So Hannah ate. Then she pulled herself together, slipped away quietly, and entered the sanctuary. The priest Eli was on duty at the entrance to GOD’s Temple in the customary seat. Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to GOD and cried and cried—inconsolably. Then she made a vow...”
“Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow…”
02.28.23
I Samuel 1:9-10
NLT – The Message – God gives us feelings. Learning to express them in a non-threatening, relationship-enhancing manner is part of growing up. Express them we must as feelings repressed do nasty things to our insides. There should come a point at which feelings must give way to action. We choose whether we allow them to lead us closer to or further from God. Hannah, after weeping away her anger and grief chose the former. She decided to throw herself upon God’s mercy, made herself presentable for the encounter, and voiced the certainty within her that God would hear her vow. This act was the result of a process that began with an emotional outpouring. Feelings drive action. Healthy introspection identifies them, and healthy expression diverts their energy into productive action. They are like an internal nuclear reactor. We choose whether they trigger a melt-down or drive us closer to God.
Lord, thank you for the color, texture and tone my feelings give to my relationship with you and others. May I always give them into your management where they give such beauty to my life.