Better Than 10 Sons!

I read the story of Hannah in the Bible. (I Samuel 1) Every time I read the part where her husband asked her why she was crying and if she thought he was better than her having 10 sons, I would get so annoyed.

Like why in the world is the husband making it about himself when Hannah is clearly crying from her taunting of Peninnah, who had 10 kids? lol Maybe he was making it about himself, but today I'm reminded of our Lord.

For the first time, I read this story and began to think to myself, "What if this was Jesus asking me, Am I not better than 10 sons?"

How many times have I found myself saddened, discouraged or hurt because ultimately, Jesus isn't enough?

How often do we get wrapped up in the "taunting" that we start to act in a way that Jesus is not enough for us or is "not better to us than 10 sons"?

You see having 10 sons in those days would have been something of wealth and value. Sons could carry on your family's name. Having 10 sons who could extend the name of your family was even more valuable. Yet Hannah didn't even have one son

Then her husband comes and ask her this question of is he not better than the sons

Honestly, in the physical, I would say " who do you think you are? Prideful much!!?"

Yet when I look at this as if Jesus is asking me this, I'm humbled.

Is Jesus not better to us than 10 sons? Is the name of Jesus not better to us than 10 sons that could carry out my name? Is Jesus not better than what this world deems as value?

I'm so humbled by this today! I may not have 10 sons that can carry out my name on this earth, but if I have Jesus then I bear His name, and it will be His name that gets carried on throughout the Earth! His name will never perish. His name remains forever. This is a name I should desire to spread and to keep alive. Not my own.

Bearing the name of Jesus is a family name that remains forever, because it is the family of God Himself. I don't need 10 sons to keep the family of God alive forever. I only need to have Jesus to be a part of a family name that lives on forever!

And in that, I have value! I have all! I am rich in Him

I love how Hannah doesn't reply to her husband in the Bible. It's almost as if she pondered the question and turned to the Lord in humility. She goes and ask the Lord for one son. Not 10. Only one. She requests just one son, so that she can give back to the Lord.

God gives her this son, Hannah then gives this son right back to God completely, which then leaves her with just her and husband again. It was as if Hannah's response to her husband, was "Yes! you are better than 10 sons. Even so that I would have one and give it completely to God so that it is just us again".

Reminds me that in everything that Jesus gives us, we gain an opportunity to give it completely to God. Jesus gives to us so that we can have something to give to God our Father.  And once we give what Jesus has given us, completely to God, we are then left with just Jesus alone. This makes Jesus better than 10 sons. This makes Jesus alone, Enough!

Today, I ask you, however life is taunting you today, and it has brought you to fear, discouragement, ungratefulness and more, stop and ponder this. Is Jesus not better than 10 sons?

Is Jesus enough for you or do you want Him plus 10 sons?

Do you want Jesus plus whatever else you see as valuable.

When Jesus is not enough for us, we become restless.

This is why Jesus tells us to come to Him alone and He will give us rest.

He doesn't tell us that we need Him plus the cares of this world in order to have rest.  Nope! Rest is in Jesus alone because He alone is enough.

Sadly, many of us are scared to just have Jesus alone. 

Come to Jesus and He will give Rest.

He is better than 10 sons.