Have you ever made a big promise? Like, a real promise, not just a little one that you kind of meant? And then had to decide whether to actually keep it when the time came? Keeping your promises when it’s really difficult is one of the most important things a person can do.

Hannah made a big promise to God. She had been praying and crying out to Him for years because she desperately wanted a baby. She loved God so much that she made a really big promise, called a vow. She said that if God gave her a son, she would give that son back to God to serve Him for his whole life.

God answered her prayer! Hannah had a baby boy and named him Samuel. And when Samuel was a boy, Hannah did something incredibly difficult. She brought Samuel to the temple and gave him to the priest Eli to raise and train to serve God. She kept her promise, even though it was so hard to leave her little boy.

And because Hannah kept her promise to God, Samuel grew up to become one of the greatest prophets in all of Israel’s history. Her sacrifice led to something amazing!

Hannah shows us that devotion to God sometimes costs us something. But when we trust Him with what we love most, He does more with it than we ever could have on our own.

Take Action: Think about a promise you’ve made that you haven’t fully kept yet. It doesn’t have to be something big. It can be any promise. Decide this week to follow through on it. When you keep your promises, you’re reflecting God’s own faithfulness because He always keeps His promises!