Hannah longed for a child, yet year after year her womb remained closed. In a culture where motherhood was deeply connected with honor and legacy, her barrenness became a source of deep grief. To make matters worse, she endured continual provocation from Peninnah, the other wife of Elkanah, who “provoked her sore, for to make her fret” .Though wounded and humiliated, she didn't give up hope. Instead, she prayed.

There are moments in history when obedience to God becomes costly. For Jochebed, motherhood itself became an act of courage. She lived during one of Israel’s darkest seasons in Egypt. Fear ruled the land. A cruel decree had gone out from Pharaoh: “Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river…”— Exodus 1:22