Spring Always Comes

God’s goodness always reaches us. The long chapter of 1 Samuel portrays the harsh winter of Hannah’s life until, finally, a sprout of hope appears on the horizon and the flowers begin to bloom. The Bible says that God remembered Hannah. But had He forgotten her at any point? Certainly not. Yet that was her feeling (v.11), Sarah’s feeling, mine, and yours—when the things God promised seem like cloudy skies heavy with rain that never fall.

— Did I understand it correctly?
— Did God really say that?
— If He did, has He forgotten me?

No. God has not forgotten you, nor me, nor Hannah. But because He is not limited by chronos, He knew from the beginning that, in the end, Hannah would hold in her arms the fruit of her waiting. Sarah, in due time, also enjoyed her beautiful spring. In fact, in Genesis 18, God Himself said that He would return to Abraham and Sarah in the spring and they would have a son. And what happened? As you probably know: “ The Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for her as He had promised. For Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time God had told him.” Genesis 21:1–2 (AMPC)

God gives us Isaac and Samuel when He knows we are ready to give them back. Hannah promised God that if she had a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. Hannah kept her vow, and as soon as Samuel was weaned, she took him to the house of the Lord. Just like Samuel, Isaac was also given back to God. Abraham was tested when, upon receiving his promise, God asked for it back. The Bible says Abraham rose early in the morning, prepared the elements for the sacrifice, and set out with Isaac to promptly obey God.

God didn’t want Samuel or Isaac; He wanted the hearts of their parents—parents who, refined and transformed in the waiting, stopped idolizing the promise and surrendered completely to the God who promised. When we look at the lives of Isaac and Samuel, we can see how much the entire wait was worth it. Samuel was the prophet who anointed David, who stands in the genealogy of Jesus, called the Son of David. As theologian David Guzik noted when commenting on Hannah’s story:

“Beyond Hannah’s trial, there was a purpose of God. God used the trial of a closed womb to accomplish something great in her life and to carry forward His entire plan of painful salvation. Even though things were difficult, God was still in control. It seems strange that Peninnah (who appears to have questionable character) was blessed with children while Hannah (who seems virtuous) was burdened with barrenness. Often we do not understand God’s ways until He completes His plan.”

Reflections:
• Has the process of waiting ever made you feel forgotten by God?
• Can you recognize in your life the need to surrender an Isaac or Samuel to God? What has been holding you back?
• Can you remember a moment when you experienced the season of spring and finally understood God’s purposes?