Unconditional Love
“Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would
give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and
daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the
Lord had closed her womb… Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her
rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah would
say to her, ‘Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you
downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?’”1
Elkanah was a man who worshipped God faithfully and made
it a priority to sacrifice to Lord every year with his family. His love for,
and trust in, God was an example of his godly character. Elkanah had two wives:
His wife Peninnah had given him sons and daughters, but his wife Hannah had no
children. This had caused strife between the two wives, as Peninnah used Hannah’s
barrenness to criticize her until it brought her to tears (God was the one who
had closed Hannah’s womb, and he had a perfect plan in doing so, but this plan
would not be known until later). Hannah may have felt unworthy of her husband’s
love, as the ability to have children defined a woman’s worth to some extent in
their society. However, Elkanah’s love for Hannah was not based on what she could
or couldn’t give him. He simply loved her for who she was. It was a pure,
unconditional love.
This unconditional love is an example of God’s love for us.
God’s love for us is not based on what we can give him, but rather on who we
are in Jesus. Elkanah wanted Hannah to know that his love for her was enough,
and this is what Jesus longs for us to know as well. He is all we need. If we
can delight ourselves in him, he will give us the desires of our heart just as
he did with Hannah. Our true identity is found in God, his plan for us is perfect,
and his love for us never ends.
Suggested prayer: Dear God, thank you for your unchanging, never-ending
love. I’ve done nothing to earn it or deserve it, yet you love me anyway. Help
me delight myself only in you, knowing that you hold my life in your hands. Thank
you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.
1. 1 Samuel
1:4-8 (NIV).
Today’s Encounter was written by: Crystal B.
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.