1 Samuel 1:19

1 Samuel 1:19 says, And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.  After worshipping, they returned home and Elkanah and Hannah were intimate once more.  After we attend a worship service today, even one in which we pour out our heart to God, we need to then return home and get on with life.  Verse twenty adds, Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.  After the necessary time passed, Hannah had a son.  God had heard her prayer and had answered it yes.  She named him Samuel, which meant "I have asked him of the LORD."  If someone has a child today, she and the father should acknowledge that the child is a gift from God, especially if they have been trying for a long time unsuccessfully to have a child.  Verse twenty-one continues, And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.  Elkanah and all his household again went to offer their yearly sacrifice and his vow to God.  Though we should worship God daily, and as followers of Christ we have already vowed to give everything to God, we still need to attend worship services regularly and may need at times to make a special vow to God.  Verse twenty-two states, But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.  Hannah did not go on this trip, saying she wasn't going until the child was weaned, and then she would go and present him to God, where he would abide forever. She wasna't backing out on her vow, but was simply doing what was practical in order to be able to fulfill it.  God had blessed her with a child as she had asked, and she was willing to give him back to God as she had promised.  We need to fulfill our promises to God, even if at times we cannot do so immediately,and even if it costs us a lot emotionally.  Verse twenty-three adds, And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.  Elkanah told her to do what she thought was best, but to remember her promise to God.  We need to do our best to support others if they have made a promise to God and not rush them in fulfilling that promise.  Verse twenty-four declares, And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.  After Samuel was weaned, Hannah took him and some other sacrifices to the house of God, even though he was still very young.  I believe it was probably hard for her to do this, but she was fulfilling her vow.  It may be hard  for us to fulfill our vows to God today, but that doesn't make it any less necessary.  Verse twenty-five continues, And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.  After sacrificing the bullock, Hannah brought Samuel to Eli.  Verse twenty-six says, And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.  Hannah reminded God of who she was, though that really wasn't necessary.  He knew, just as He knows who each of us is as Christians today.  Verse twenty-seven adds, For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:  She also acknowledged that God had answered her prayer by giving her a son.  We need to acknowledge today that children are always a gift from God, no matter the circumstances of their birth.  Verse twenty-eight continues, Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.  Hannah said that she had loaned Samuel to God for as long as he lived.  We cannot force our children to serve God today, but we can do our best to give them back to Him to serve Him as long as they live.  They are God's gift to us, and we should acknowledge that we need to treat them as our gift back to Him.  Though he was young, we are told Samuel worshipped God there.  We need to teach our children from a young age to worship God.