Naomi & Hannah

Romans 15:4 tells us For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 
So on Wednesday nights, I have the great privilege of studying the women of The Story with a great group of girlfriends to gain instruction, encouragement and hope. We have learned from Eve, Sarah, Zipporah, Miriam, Deborah, Naomi and, most recently, Hannah and Michal. We are examining these lower stories that are part of God's upper story and very often finding bits of our own stories.
They have all been rich studies but Naomi and Hannah have really gotten to me. Both are women of faith with great struggles. But they have very different attitudes toward the Lord.
Naomi's story is one of loss. She loses her home to famine, her husband and sons to death and her new home to hopelessness. She is angry, distraught and bitter. So bitter, in fact, that she wears the word as her name...Mara. What is so interesting is that she understands how sovereign the Lord is. She knows He is the giver of good gifts because she prays them over her daughters-in-law when sending them home. In the next breath, she shows she knows everything passes through His hand when she says the Lord's hand has turned against me (Ruth 1:13). She blames the Lord for her loss. She says He has afflicted her. Naomi also knows God's character. In the second chapter of Ruth, she says He has always been kind. This fascinates me because it is the only good thing Naomi has to say about God. I am shocked because something else we see about God in Naomi's story is His faithfulness. The Lord redeems her loss in abundance. He gives her so much, and she remains silent. The people around her praise God for His faithfulness to Naomi...but she never does.
Hannah's story is also full of sorrow. Hannah is barren and has been for years. She is dearly loved and favored by her husband but viciously taunted by her rival. Year after year, she travels to worship God in the tabernacle. Year after year, she prays for a child. Her prayer comes from the depths of her broken heart. When Eli questions her thinking she is drunk she says No, my lord. I am a woman with a broken heart...I've been pouring my heart before the Lord...I've been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment. (1 Sam. 1:15-16) Such honesty. Scripture tells us she is deeply hurt...Mara. After her time of prayer, she feels some relief. Scripture says she was no longer despondent. My favorite part of Hannah's story is that she woke up the next morning and went to worship the Lord again. Hannah worshiped a God who is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who's spirits are crushed. (Psalm 34:18) Our faithful God answers Hannah's long standing prayer request in a stunningly beautiful way with Samuel. 
What I love about Hannah's story is that BEFORE her prayers are answered she worships. Such a stark contrast to Naomi who we never see worshiping much less in her pain. Hannah offers her broken heart to the Lord worshiping the One who binds up the brokenhearted (Psalm 147, Isaiah 61).

When I am a woman with a broken heart...I've been pouring my heart before the Lord...I've been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment. Do I still rise to worship? When your heart is broken, do you trust it to the Lord? Praising Him before He answers...or when His answer is for your good but not what you wanted? In your Mara, will you let Him heal you?
I pray I am like Hannah.

Kelly Borst