Editor’s note: Being a young woman today can feel like walking through an endless obstacle course. But what if you had 100 days filled with wisdom, resilience, and inspiration from some of history’s most courageous women? Picture gaining insight from remarkable figures like Ruth, Esther, Mary, and Abigail — women who confronted challenges with bravery and transformed their worlds. Their stories are more than just inspiring; they offer timeless lessons to help you find the strength and courage to navigate your own journey. Enjoy these excerpts from Loved by God: 100 Days with Women in the Word.
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[Elkanah] had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. — 1 Samuel 1:2
This short verse gives us a sad, succinct introduction to Hannah. Her husband had two wives, and Hannah was “the one with none.” We can guess that a situation like this — one man, two wives — would usually lead to a fair amount of rivalry at the best of times. But when one woman was able to have children and the other wasn’t, it had to have been drastically worse.
- Dealing with rivalry isn’t easy, especially when you’re the one with none.
Maybe you often feel competition with a sibling, and that sibling excels at something you don’t. That’s a tough situation. Maybe sometimes we gain a victory and become “the one with some,” but those victories are fleeting. If we’re chasing those, we’ll never be completely satisfied.
The long-term solution is to understand that we aren’t created for comparison. You were created with unique gifts to use, particular trials to overcome, and specific triumphs to celebrate.
When you embrace your own path and avoid falling into the comparison trap, you can find contentment, as well as the motivation to be the very best you possible.
Why is it best to avoid the comparison trap?
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In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if You will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget Your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” — 1 Samuel 1:10–11
Hannah went to God very openly. She cried. She wept. She may have even wailed. She let Him see every bit of her distress. She came to Him open-hearted and vulnerable.
Sometimes we get the idea that we need to be proper with God. Perhaps we’ve learned that showing someone respect means being on our best behavior, so we button our lips, zip up our hearts, and approach God with a detached cool that displays our respect for Him.
Hey, it’s important to respect God. Absolutely! But perhaps we need to tweak our idea of what “respect” looks like. Reverence, sure. But also openness.
Transparency that says, “I trust You. You see me, You love me, and this is the reality of what I’m experiencing right now. It’s ugly, and I trust You to love me through the ugliness.”
To be so open with someone is to respect them deeply. What if we always approached God with all our hearts? What if we always approached God the way Hannah did?
Is there an area in your life that might prompt you to pray with the fervency that Hannah did? If so, describe the situation.
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Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.” — 1 Samuel 1:19–20
Okay, so we’re back in a biblical bedroom. Sorry about that. But since Hannah’s whole story centers around her infertility, it’s kind of hard to avoid. And this is a happy turn of events, after all. Hannah is finally getting what she so desperately wanted. She gets a baby!
Look, it’s important to manage our expectations. It’s important to make sure we understand the hard truth that we don’t always get what we want.
- Sometimes God says no.
There is no magic formula to ensure God always says yes, and even if there were, we’d probably want to be very wary of such a thing.
But, even after we’ve triggered all the gloomy truth bombs we can possibly detonate, there’s another truth to consider. Sometimes God makes miracles happen.
Sometimes God says yes and makes the impossible possible.
While we don’t want to expect that of God every time we ask for something, it’s true that sometimes, that’s what God does.
Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a happy turn of events? What happened that surprised you?
Excerpted with permission from Loved by God: 100 Days with Women in the Word, copyright Zondervan.
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Your Turn
Are you authentic with God? What would change if you got really honest with Him? What if you told Him everything openly and still trusted Him with your deepest troubles, desires, and hopes? He loves you! ~ Devotionals Daily