ESOCS Devotional 11 March 2026 – The Blessing of Motherhood
MEMORY VERSE: “And she vowed a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thine handmade, and remember me, and not forget Thine handmade, but wilt give unto Thine handmade a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” 1 Samuel 1:11 KJV
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 1:1-20
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. 4 And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.
8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. 11 Then 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 male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”
15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”
17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”
18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”
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It was a most embarrassing experience in ancient Israel for a woman to be childless. Worse still, in the social environment of polygamous marriage, the agony was terribly overwhelming. In our text, Peninnah (Elkanah’s other wife) made life so unbearable for Hannah, because the Lord had shut her womb. Even today, there is always jealousy in such homes, and someone is usually in grief. In our case, here, Hannah was the victim.
The gift of children to a woman is a precious gift of God. Cases abound in scripture where the Bible pictures the joy of motherhood, as well as the despair and heartache of barrenness (Genesis 29:31; Judges 13:2; 2 Kings 4:14-17; Luke 1:7).
With regard to motherhood responsibilities, mothers play a significant role in the upbringing and education of children, sometimes even doing so alone. The mother necessarily is the first teacher of the child. Thus, she deserves the same respect and honour as the father. Moreover, mothers tend to be gifted with gentleness and a nurturing spirit. Without the mother, parenthood cannot be made manifest, because it takes the mother and the father for procreation to come into being. Therefore, children owe it as a responsibility to obey and respect the mother as they do the father (Exodus 20:12).
With the mother and father, as well as the fruits of the womb, a happy home is birthed. Needless to state here that this is the ultimate desire of motherhood in the history of mankind.
Moreover, and by extension, the Church is considered in the New Testament as the loving mother of all believers. This goes to suggest the crucial role of the Church in our spiritual upbringing, growth, and development. Hence, all believers are regarded as members of God’s family (Matthew 23:8).
Reflections
- A childless marriage is viewed with disdain, and the woman usually almost termed an outcast. Do you support this view?
Prayer
- Lord my God, make me fruitful to the glory of Thy Name.
Further Reading: Jeremiah 1:1-14; Luke 12:49-59; 2 Corinthians 1:1-14
ESOCS Devotional 11 March 2026
