1 Samuel 1:11, 22
She made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”
But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever.”
Hannah promised God that if He would give her a son, she would give Him to the Lord. She kept her promise—as soon as he was weaned, she took him to the Temple to serve God. It’s easy to make a promise to God when we’re in trouble, but it’s also easy to forget about our promises when God answers our prayers. We don’t need to make bargains with God, promising to be in church every week if He’ll heal this illness or telling Him we’ll do something (or maybe avoid doing something we shouldn’t) if He’ll grant us that wish. Nothing we can promise will ever “pay” God for what He gives us. But if we make a commitment to Him, we need to do our best to keep. And ask Him for help when our own strength isn’t enough.
Lord, we’re so glad that we don’t have to promise to do something or give up something when we make a supplication to You. But we want to do Your will, and when we make a commitment—especially to You—we want to fulfill that commitment. We know that the only thing You want from us is everything—our hearts, minds, and lives. We offer our all to You, Lord. Take our lives and let them be dedicated to You. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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