Mostly we think of Hannah for her story of being the wife who had no child, who promised that if God would give her a son she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service for all his life. But she also sings a song of exultation in the Lord. We might have expected her theme to be “thanks for answering my prayer” or “I’m so grateful for my baby.” But instead she sings about the sovereign power of God.

“The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low; he also exalts” (I Samuel 2:6-7). These contrasting pairs make it clear that God is in charge. God can bring you low or lift you up on high. We’re not used to thinking that God kills: but we need to see this as an acknowledgment that God is sovereign over all things, over wealth and poverty, over gladness and despair, over life and death.

It’s easy to think of prayer as wonderful, when we get what we want. But when people have prayed for healing or a baby or a job, and nothing happens, it’s easy to despair. Hannah had been feeling pretty desolate (1:10), and now she felt exultant (2:1); that doesn’t mean that all the rest of us will have the same experience. We pray that God will raise us from the dust and lift us from the ash heap (2:8): but we are not in charge. We bow before the majesty of the Lord.

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You are the Lord! There is no one like you, no one beside you. Guard us and guide us we pray, and teach us to be people of holiness and devotion, no matter our circumstances. You alone are our Rock and our fortress.

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