1 Samuel 1 tells us about a woman named Hannah. She was married to a man who had two wives. The other wife had children but Hannah had none. In this story we discover a pretty straightforward recipe for deep discouragement: a barren womb, a husband who lacks empathy and compassion, and a vicious rival wife mixed together and cooked on high for year after year with no end in sight. Hannah was clearly discouraged. She may not have been blind to her discouragement, but her discouragement blinded her to the power and presence of God. However, in verse 15, Hannah is seen “pouring out her heart to the Lord”. In doing so, she models how we can properly process our pain and discouragement. We should process the pain of life in the presence of God.
