The God Who Sees

Among other things, the Bible contains account after account of the imperfect, broken lives and relationships of real people; we are not alone. Hannah is one of my favorite heroines in the Bible. She was married to a man named Elkanah and she was barren. That being the case, Elkanah married a second wife, Peninnah. He didn’t love her nearly as much as he did Hannah (and didn’t hide the fact), but Peninnah bore him children. Messy. Having more than one wife went against what God had ordained for man (I know, I know–there were certain expectations back then regarding heirs, but still…). And when we disobey God, there are consequences. At the very least, conflict.

Hannah was a deeply burdened individual. Peninnah delighted in tormenting her relentlessly because she was barren, unlike Peninnah. “And it happened year after year, as often as she [Hannah] went to the house of the Lord, she [Peninnah] would provoke her, so she wept and would not eat.” (I Samuel 1:7). Peninnah was bitterly jealous of Hannah because of Elkanah’s deep love for Hannah; that was the real source of her disdain. She apparently didn’t treasure children as much as Hannah did; she wanted to be the #1 adored wife, instead. The grass is always greener…

Hannah was misunderstood by Elkanah, who thought his deep and undying love for her should have been more than enough to satisfy Hannah and bring her great joy. As he so eloquently asked, “Am I not better to you than 10 sons?” Wow, loaded question much? And isn’t that a little hypocritical, Elkanah? Didn’t you obtain a second wife so you could have heirs? Wasn’t Hannah’s love better than 10 sons? Some commentators suggest that Hannah showed a lack of gratefulness for what she had. I see it differently. It is possible to be immensely grateful for an adoring husband and still long deeply for children. Been there, done that.

In addition to a conniving, rival wife and an insensitive, disconnected, although devoted, husband, Hannah was grossly misjudged by the priest, Eli. She went to the temple to pour out her heart to God to request a son, whom she promised to give right back to God. Eli happened to see her praying silently in the temple. But because her lips were moving as she prayed, with no audible sound, then that must mean–Eli rashly presumed–that Hannah was drunk (I always thought drunk people were loud). Poor, sweet, gracious Hannah. Harshly ridiculed by Peninnah; grossly misunderstood by Elkanah; and, now, unfairly judged by Eli. And yet, she humbly and graciously explained to Eli why she was praying. As quickly as he had judged her, he responded with, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” (I Samuel 1:17)

Hannah was faithful and true to her heavenly Father. She knew that He was her only true source of fulfillment. She pleaded with Him for a son and, in His time, He eventually blessed her with Samuel. And, when he was old enough, she sent Samuel to serve Eli in the temple, just as she had vowed she would do. God rewarded her faithfulness by giving her 3 more sons and 2 daughters.

Elisabeth Elliott once said, “Marriage teaches us that even the most intimate human companionship cannot satisfy the deepest places of the heart. Our hearts are lonely until they rest in Him.” Hannah found this to be true. I knew it to be true on so many occasions, including during my infertile years. It was true throughout my marriage to Bruce. He was deeply burdened about so many things that I could not fix–very likely some that I was unaware of–both before and after his stroke. We prayed constantly for each other throughout our 44 years of marriage. And, thankfully, we both knew that God was our ultimate and perfect source of comfort, hope, and love. He was the love that would not let us go.

Are you married? Enjoy your love, especially today. Share your joys and the goodness of the Lord in your lives and marriage. Share your burdens with each other, as difficult and “unromantic” as that may be, and pray for one another regularly. Realize that your spouse is not capable of fulfilling your deepest needs and pour your heart out to God; He’s waiting to hear from you.

Are you single (or do you feel single), for whatever reason? God is the love that will not let you go. Sarai (later to become “Sarah”), the wife of Abram (later to become “Abraham”) was unable to conceive, so she gave her maidservant, Hagar to Abraham for that purpose. As soon as Hagar conceived, Sarai resented her and treated her harshly, and Hagar, understandably, fled. But an angel of the Lord came to her and gave her a promise about the son she was carrying. Hagar’s response? “You are a God who sees.” (Genesis 16:13). So, fellow single people, know that God sees you and loves you perfectly; He knows your burdens and heartaches. He cares for you and has a unique plan for you that is already in progress.

On my first Valentine’s Day without Bruce, do not grieve for me as for those who have no hope. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (I Thessalonians 4:14-18). Bruce is perfectly loved, and one day I will get to witness his joy in heaven. I am perfectly loved. And, you are perfectly loved by God, our heavenly Father–the very definition of Love.

I love Rogers and Hammerstein musicals, and “The King and I” is one of my top favorites (so many children…what can I say?). Anna, a young widow, has been employed by the King of Siam to tutor his children–in particular, the crown prince. In a moment of wistful reflection, which echoes my sentiments, she sings:

Hello young lovers, wherever you are
I hope your troubles are few
All my good wishes go with you tonight
I’ve been in love like you

Be brave, young lovers and follow your star
Be brave and faithful and true
Cling very close to each other tonight
I’ve been in love like you

I know how it feels to have wings on your heels
And to fly down the street in a trance
You fly down a street on the chance that you’ll meet
And you meet — not really by chance

Don’t cry young lovers, whatever you do
Don’t cry because I’m alone
All of my memories are happy tonight
I’ve had a love of my own

I’ve had a love of my own, like yours
I’ve had a love of my own