Longing for MotherhoodParaugs

Day 1: Longing for Motherhood

“Give me children, or I shall die!” (Gen. 30:1). Perhaps you, like Rachel, have cried out to God with a similar ultimatum. If you’re experiencing a season of childlessness, the longing for a baby can be all-consuming. You may have wondered:

“When will I conceive a child?”

“How will I face the future if I’m unable to bear my own children?”

“Will motherhood ever come?”

These questions and others like them can become a recurring refrain in our lives, anchoring us to our pain and heartbreak. The longing for motherhood begins to define us. Notably, there are several prominent women in the Bible who also faced this trial. How did they respond when their desire for a child went unmet? One of the most vivid stories of barrenness is Hannah’s story, found in 1 Samuel. At that time, it was customary for men to take multiple wives. Elkanah was married to both Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, while Hannah remained barren. The MacArthur Study Bible suggests that Elkanah married Peninnah because Hannah was barren. Peninnah was likely the second wife, but the first to bear children. 

Throughout the opening verses of this chapter, we learn of Hannah’s struggle, and we’re told that she wept bitterly, refused to eat, was deeply distressed, filled with anxiety, and vexed (vv. 3–11). In addition to her barrenness, Peninnah—whom the Bible refers to as Hannah’s rival—would provoke and irritate her, constantly reminding her of what she lacked. Hannah’s own heartbreak was surely compounded by the expectations of women in the ancient world, which equated bearing children with God’s blessing. Is it any wonder, then, that these displays of tears and emotions were Hannah’s response? She was grieving.

We see that Hannah responded by pouring out her heart to the Lord, making a solemn vow that if God would give her a son, she would dedicate him to God (v. 11). The Lord was indeed gracious to Hannah, whose very name means “grace”. However God chooses to act, He is worthy of your faith and trust. Childlessness is indeed worth mourning, yet God has promised to be near to the brokenhearted  (Ps. 34:18). 

Rest in the fact that you’re not alone in this trial!