Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
Do you remember Samuel’s mother? We call her Hannah. Other people in her life had different names for her, though. Her husband called her beloved. But he also called her barren, and then he took another wife — naming Hannah a failure and her empty womb a disappointment. The other wife Peninah, mocked her and called her a loser. She provoked Hannah mercilessly in jealousy of the affection that their husband favored upon her. Peninah made it her personal duty to make her life miserable, constantly throwing her losses in her face.
Hannah faced her own reflection with loathing and pity. She called herself a sorrowful spirit. She would go to the temple to grieve her losses — pray with a groaning and a suffering that made the priest think she was drunk. She finally got so desperate that she began bartering with God. “Please, God, please. Give me a child. Give me the desire of my heart, and I’ll give him back to you.”
Her son, Samuel, paid another price. He, the son of miraculous circumstances, didn’t get to be like other kids — go to school and simply enjoy carefree time. His mom delivered him to a priest as a child, and he was raised in a temple. His mother made this decision for him. He was just a kid. Living in an adult world of animal sacrifices and burning candles. He carried the weight of his mother’s promise.
Until that night – the night he started hearing a voice in the dark. Quickly running to the priest, the priest made it clear that he never called him. Yet he hears it again and again. That little boy, whose future didn’t really seem fair, is suddenly hearing the very voice of God — a voice that gave him the chance to choose to dedicate his life in service to the Lord.
The Lord offers that opportunity to us all.
What are you battling today? Has someone called you a loser or told you that you’re never going to amount to anything? Have you ever tried and tried but still failed? Have you cried buckets of tears to end some of the stress and confusion of your life?
God offers a promise to those of us who are weary and are tired of shouldering this great burden all by ourselves. He says, “Just come to me.” That’s all. He isn’t in the business of leaving you to drown in your problems. In fact, He wants more for you than He wants from you. His plan was to accept your burdens and give you His rest.
At the intersection of His cross, you can lay your burdens down. You can drop your baggage of sin. You can dump your secrets and abandon your shame. For surely, He offers you beauty for your ashes.
Great job. Encouraging message. Relevant.