Devotional

Read 1 Samuel 1

At the time of this story, the people of Israel traveled to the tabernacle at Shiloh every year. At the tabernacle, they presented God with a sacrifice to atone for their sins. This story of Hannah focuses on two trips she made to the tabernacle. On the first trip, Hannah desperately prayed for a child and promised that she would give the child back to God if He granted her request. While she prayed, Eli the priest, told her that God would give her a child.

On the next trip, Hannah and her husband Elkanah brought the child, Samuel, and made two sacrifices. The first was a traditional offering of a bull, flour and wine.  Elkanah and Hannah presented these gifts as an atonement for their sins. Their second sacrifice was giving Samuel to the Lord. Samuel would now be raised by Eli to become a priest and serve in the tabernacle. Hannah says that she does this because of the vow that was made and because of what God had done for her. 

Much later when Jesus was crucified on the cross His death became the atonement for our sins. Now we no longer need to make an animal sacrifice to be forgiven. (Thank goodness!) I’ve heard several pastors say that you can break down the word atonement into “at-one-ment”. Because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross we are now reconciled and “at one” with God. This means that our relationship with God has moved from one of disharmony to one of harmony and union.

So now that we are reconciled to God, what does He require of us? Is God wanting us to give up something important and significant like Hannah did? What could we possibly give to God in return for granting us love, forgiveness and grace? How should we respond?

One of my favorite scripture verses is Romans 12:1 from The Message. In it Paul says, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”  The same verse in the New Living Translation tells us “to give your bodies to God…let them be a living and holy sacrifice.” 

Our response to all that God has done for us – love, forgiveness and grace – is to give our whole selves to God. Even the mundane and ordinary. Below is a link to one of my favorite songs, “Take My Life” sung by Chris Tomlin. This song beautifully encourages us to give our hearts, our hands and feet, our voices and our intellect to God as a living and holy sacrifice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nv7U0SmjOs

Prayer:

Holy Father, Thank You for Your abundant and ceaseless love. Thank You for sacrificing Your Son, Jesus so we could be in relationship with You. Help us grow in Your love so that we desire to give ourselves to You. May all that we do be for Your glory.  Amen.

Written by Jennifer Roberts. Jennifer leads the children's choir and the beginning handbell choir. She lives in Ashburn with her husband Ben and their son Ethan.