HOPE FULFILLED FOR THE RELEASE OF PRISONERS
Two French citizens, held in an Iranian prison for the last three years, were recently released and returned to Paris. The couple, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, traveled to Iran as tourists in 2022. While there, they were arrested as state hostages, convicted as spies, and held in Evin prison in Tehran. In April of this year, the French government denounced all charges and joyfully welcomed the couple home. Ms. Kohler expressed bold hope as she talked with reporters in Paris. The couple’s situation required persistent hope, for resolution had to come from the outside. They had no control of their circumstances and could not rescue themselves.

HOPE FULFILLED FOR THE GIFT OF A CHILD
Hannah is one of two wives of an Israelite man. She grieves because she has no children, while the other wife has many. Peninnah (the other wife) takes advantage of Hannah’s vulnerability and pokes Hannah to grief. She brings her sorrow to the Lord and vows that, if God grants her a son, she will devote him to priestly service. The priest observing this misunderstands Hannah’s wordless, emotional prayer. But he soon learns that Hannah is pouring out her soul to God, asking for a resolution to a situation that is beyond her ability to change. He asks God to fulfill her request. And once home, Hannah conceives and gives birth to a son, whom she names Samuel. As promised, she and her husband bring Samuel to the temple for training and service.

Questions

• How do you handle seasons of agonizing waiting?
• What impossible situation do you need to take to God?
• Who might assist you—through support, prayer, blessing, or advocacy—in painful circumstances?