Walk Alongside

1 Samuel 1: 9

Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

Life is a rough journey in many instances. We go through troubled times waiting for God to answer our prayers. While God is working out His plan, we tend to resort to despair. Instead of remaining hopeful for God’s answer, we choose to continue on the path of hopelessness. We look at outward circumstances. We look at previous experiences. We look for people who may give us sound advice. We search for any possible solution to get us out of our troubled times as soon as possible. Our eyes of faith grow dim and short sighted.

During this myopic situation, it is important we surround ourselves with godly people who would encourage us. If we are not the ones going through rough times, there are people in our lives who are in despair. This is the moment we need to step alongside our friends or family members to encourage them. As they are struggling with God’s timing in answering their prayers, we should provide those with help and support. We should lovingly encourage those with God’s word. By doing so, we are helping them to remain steadfast in their faith.

Recently, as I was going through illness, hesitantly, I reached out to family and friends for prayer support. Many in my immediate family criticized me for advertising about my illness. My argument was, “I need prayer support.” While I trusted God to heal me, I also relied on the prayer support that I knew I will undeniably receive from my godly and faithful family and friends. So, I shared with my strong prayer warriors and requested to pray alongside me for healing. I was overwhelmed by the love, support, words of encouragement from these faithful flock. Yes, God provides us the timely help, timely word of encouragement. I was so delighted that I have a faithful group of friends and family who are willing to walk alongside me when I desperately needed that extra word of encouragement. Just learning that there are people praying for me, interceding on my behalf when I was too weak to even sit up and pray, thrilled me.

Elkanah is a great example of a supportive husband to a grieving wife:  a wife who was barren and constantly taunted by the other wife. Hannah was desperate. Despite her husband’s love and support, she still was heartbroken. Elkanah constantly encouraged Hannah, he gave her extra love and special gifts to cheer her up. However, she still remained childless. In the end she looked to God and trusted Him for help. When she poured her heart out to God, she found peace. Then she returned home to Ramah with a light heart.

In our journey of faith, we will come across people who would want us to be there for them in times of need, either financially or spiritually or emotionally. How often are we able to be there for them? Are we being critical of their circumstances or are we supportive by being a good listener and assuring them with God’s Word? Are we praying with them and for them? Are we ready to give them our advice or ready to lend our shoulder for them to lean on? Sometimes just being there with the person, also gives the suffering person a sense of peace.

Let us be people of God who would walk alongside those who are struggling. Let us be His servants serving those in need of strength. Let us be beacons of hope for those who are lost and are searching for answers. Let us for a change instead of walking ahead, walk alongside our brothers and sisters who are hurting. In doing so, we are loving our neighbor as ourselves. Just what Jesus Christ commanded. In doing so, we are encouraging them to rely on God and leading them on the path to eternity. In doing so, we are setting an example of Christ’s nature and they in turn will one day walk alongside someone in need. In doing so, our Heavenly Father is being magnified, and Jesus Christ is being glorified.