Thursday, January 14, 2010
Lent to the Lord
(I Samuel 1:24-28)
In fulfillment of her vow, Hannah brought young Samuel to the tabernacle at Shiloh to live with Eli, the priest of the Lord. Samuel’s training had begun, as had the long separation from his sweet, godly mother.
Hannah’s words on the occasion of her bringing Samuel to Shiloh are instructive. She emphatically told Eli that she had “lent” Samuel to the Lord. She further stated that as long as Samuel lived, he would be “lent” to the Lord. Hannah viewed her personal sacrifice in terms of lending, not losing.
Many Christians consider sacrifices made in the cause of Christ as ultimately lost from them. They view their tithing as 10% they’ll never see again. They think of time invested in the Lord’s work as time spent—never to be reclaimed. They congratulate themselves in their willingness to “do without” for the cause of Christ.
Such thinking, though tragically prevalent, is woefully inaccurate. Hannah knew better. She recognized that anything “given” to God is, in reality, “lent” to Him. God, who will be debtor to no man, makes sure that every “sacrifice” made in time will be rewarded in eternity. Hence, even a cup of cold water given in Jesus’ name will not miss its reward (Mt. 10:42).
Perhaps when Jesus spoke of “laying up treasure in heaven,” He was referring to our willingness to lend to the Lord. Speaking of personal sacrifice for Christ, Paul rather indelicately declared, “I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Phil. 3:8). He is no fool who gives away what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose!
