Thurs.’s Devo - Hope in the Midst of Despair

Read: 1 Samuel 1:1-2:21; John 5:1-23; Psalm 105:37-45; Proverbs 14:28-29
It is amazing how many women who were barren went on to have extraordinary men of God. Hannah was one of these women. She finally reached her breaking point and made a vow to God that if he would give her a son, she would give him back to Him and never cut his hair.
God heard her cry though Eli thought she was drunk. Their conversation would be marked on his memory so that when Hannah returned, Eli would know who she was. Little did Eli know when he granted her her miracle that he would be the recipient of this miracle.
Eli had two undisciplined sons: Hopni and Phineas who cheated God and the people out of their meat sacrificed to God.
Hannah had a son named Samuel and when he was about four years old, she presented him to Eli so he would grow up in the service of the Lord.
Instead of being sad, Hannah prophesied to all Israel of a transfer of honor and wealth. She proclaimed the power of God to protect and fight for his people. Mary would quote some of Hannah’s prayer when she found out she was to bear the Messiah.
Hannah returned home to be blessed with three sons and two daughters while Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord and became a great comfort and blessing to Eli and all of Israel.
In John, Jesus healed the man at the pool of Siloam. Crowds of people that were blind, lame or paralyzed lay there waiting for the waters to ripple. There had been a legend about an angel that would heal when the waters stirred. Jesus was the one who could heal them and he chose this man to heal who had been sick for 38 years.
The Pharisees found out and came for Jesus because he had changed a man’s whole life on the Sabbath! Such irony! They questioned Jesus’ authority and he told them that his authority came from God and he had also given him the authority to judge. Anyone who honored him would be honoring God and anyone who didn’t honor him would not be honoring God. I bet that went over well.
Thank you, Lord, that in the midst of so much sickness and wrong, you are the judge and you are still healing and reigning over us.