THY WILL BE DONE

1 Samuel 3:10

Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

In the old testament, a man called Elkanah from Ramathaim had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah who had children used to provoke Hannah who was childless, and this went on year after year. Every year, Elkanah goes to Shiloh and offer sacrifices to the Lord. There Hannah wept to the Lord in the Tabernacle with bitter soul and prayed that He would remove her shame and give her a child. She vowed saying “O LORD of hosts, if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid, if you remember me and do not forget me, if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives…" (1 Samuel 1:11).

A year later, Hannah gave birth to a son and called him "Samuel" (which means "heard of God") for she has asked him of the Lord. He then grew and the Lord was with him and was established to be a prophet of the Lord. He became the last of the Israel judges and anointed the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David.

The life of Hannah and Samuel is punctuated by total obedience to the will of God. For Hannah, giving up Samuel to be raised by Eli shows total sacrifice, and being true to her promise to the Lord. For Samuel, he was true to the Lord up to his death. He led the Israelites in fasting and confessing, “We have sinned against the Lord”, so they were able to defeat the Philistines. The Lord subdued the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

Almighty Father, Your will be done.

“Lord, I hear my name
Now I go before You, my Lord
If it is Your will
Let it be, let it be
Let me be what You will
Let me do Your will.”

Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.