Hannah was in a bad place. We learn about her in I Samuel chapter 1 as being one of two wives of her husband Elkanah, the other wife being a woman named Peninah. The scripture calls Peninah her “rival” because Hannah was barren and Peninah had “sons and daughters.” To be childless in ancient Israel was more than just infertility - it was a social scar. Beyond that, it was a spiritual scarlet letter - a daily reminder that God had blessed others, but had not chosen to bless you.
The low point of each year for Hannah was going up to the Lord’s house in Shiloh. When the offering was given to Peninah and all of her children, Peninah “taunted” Hannah verbally to the point that she was struggling with depression and despondence. What should have been a joyous annual celebration was a bitter reminder of the void in Hannah’s life.
The turning point in this story is a three-letter Hebrew word. Hannah decided to “qum” (pronounced koom). The scripture says that “On one occasion Hannah stood up...” The word qum means to rise up powerfully. Hannah not only stood up physically, but she rose up spiritually in this moment. Instead of languishing in her depression, she decided that the enemy of her soul would not have the last word and went directly to the temple where she prayed a fervent and heartfelt prayer that included a plea to God to “remember and not forget me.”
When I was 26 years old, I went through a very difficult season. Staci and I had come home from a mission trip, and shortly thereafter, I came down with an illness that caused me to lose thirty pounds in sixty days. The downward spiral physically was compounded by a spiritual attack which caused an anxiety and fearfulness that I had never experienced before. After three months of struggling physically, mentally, and spiritually, I honestly wondered more than once if God had forgotten about me. Around this time, I ran into an old friend from college, and when he asked how I was doing, I lied and said, “Fine, how are you?” We chatted for a few minutes and shook hands. As my friend turned to leave, he turned back and said, “Hey, I almost forgot to tell you this. For the past three months, I have been waking up every morning, and the first thing the Holy Spirit puts on my mind is to pray for you. So, I’ve been praying for you every day for three months and don’t even know why!”
In Hannah’s story, the scripture records the beautiful words, “...and the Lord remembered her.” The truth is, God never forgot her. He didn’t forget me either. Through tears in my eyes, I walked away from that conversation with my friend forever knowing that my God would never leave me, forsake me, or forget me.
I would encourage you to read I Samuel chapters 1 and 2 and then listen to the 2023 song, “Trust in God” by Chris Brown. The song is a new take on the old hymn “Blessed Assurance,” written by Fanny Crosby in 1873. Listen to the bridge and remember: God will answer you in His time and has not forgotten you!
Blessings,
David Landis