1 SAMUEL 1:12 – 13
NOW IT CAME ABOUT, AS SHE CONTINUED PRAYING BEFORE THE LORD, THAT ELI WAS WATCHING HER MOUTH. AS FOR HANNAH, SHE WAS SPEAKING IN HER HEART, ONLY HER LIPS WERE MOVING, BUT HER VOICE WAS NOT HEARD. SO ELI THOUGHT SHE WAS DRUNK.
Hannah was pouring out her heart to God. She was weeping bitterly for she was distressed and oppressed in spirit. The priest, Eli, immediately judged her, and thought she was drunk with wine. He did not know her situation, or what she was going through and just assumed her to be acting out. Man cannot see through the exterior of bones and marrow, nor pierce through the thoughts in our brain. Man may not able to see what distresses us, or that our heart is weeping bitterly. Man can quickly assume.
Everyone has a personal life; each one has struggles, trials, and heartaches of their own. I remind us to be mindful of that, for we may not know what others pray about deep into the night, or what stress pounds and gives them no peace.
So let us be a little more patient with the people around us, let us pour out a little more love, and not hold back on our kindness. For if we all crave love and for people to be good to us, we must remember that others need the same. If you need love, be love to others; if you seek kindness, share kindness and goodness; if you crave mercy, then with everything you have in you, fight for mercy and do not hold back on grace.
For God does not stop pouring out His love on us. We deserve His full wrath, and we are not worthy of His love. But, instead of punishing us, He made us worthy, and forgave. Let us do the same, to our brothers and sisters around us.
Y O U T H M E M B E R
