SACRIFICIAL LOVE
...and she said to him, "Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.
1 Samuel 1:26b-28 (NIV)
Samuel was finally here—the son she had longed for, cried over and surrendered to God before he was even conceived. But Hannah understood that Samuel was never truly hers to keep. He was a gift from God, and she had promised to give him back. When she took Samuel and presented him to Eli, imagine the emotions she must have felt as she walked into the temple carrying the child she had prayed so desperately to receive. Hannah's devotion to God was not based on what was convenient. She was willing to give God what was most precious to her because she trusted the One who had given Samuel to her.
When my children were babies, I dedicated them to the Lord. I didn't realize I would have to repeat that continuously over the years. One of the hardest stages of parenthood I have walked through was watching my daughter walk through a very dark season, and she was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder. There were many restless nights when I asked God, Why? I was told by her doctor that I needed to learn not to react negatively to her negative outbursts. When she lashed out in anger, I had to step back, breathe and give her over to God again and again. There were tears and many prayers. God gently reminded me that as much as I love her, He loves her even more.
Sometimes sacrificial love means letting go—not because we don't care, but because we trust God more than ourselves. We cannot walk every step for the people we love, fix every problem, or protect them from every painful experience. But we can pray, love, support and place them back into the hands of their Creator.
APPLICATION: Who or what are you struggling to surrender to God? Place that person or situation back into His hands today. Surrender is not giving up; it is trusting the One who loves them even more than you do.
PRAYER: _Dear Father, help me love sacrificially and trust You completely. Remind me that You are faithful. Help me release what I cannot control and trust You with those I love. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?