Baby Avery's Dedication

 

In the first chapter of  I Samuel we learn about lady named Hannah. Hannah was one of two wives of her husband and she had a problem. The problem was that she had no children. In this day and time, that was big deal. Having children, especially males, was a HUGE deal. It was almost a status thing.
Well, Hannah's heart ached because she had no child. One day, Hannah poured out her heart to the Lord and this is what she said...

And she vowed a vow, and said, "O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head."

She begged the Lord for this baby and promised that if He gave her a baby, she would give him back to the Lord.

Eli the priest who was in the temple thought she was drunk...
¹² And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.
¹³ Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.¹⁴ And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

But it was her grief ...
¹⁵ And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. ¹⁶ Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

Eli soon realized the truth and sent her away with a positive answer to her prayer...
 ¹⁷ Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

Very soon after that Hannah had a baby boy...
 ¹⁹ And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.²⁰ Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.

Hannah raised her baby boy until he was weaned and then she gave him back
...So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.²⁴ And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.²⁵ And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.²⁶ And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.
 ²⁷ For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: ²⁸ Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.

The Lord gave her Samuel and then she turned around and gave him back. Before Avery was born I prayed for his life and prayed that God would give us the wisdom to raise Avery for Him.

Sunday, August 19th  we had the opportunity and blessing of dedicating him back to the Lord. This does not save him; that will be Avery's own choice. This was just us, as his parents, committing to do everything with strength from our God to raise him for the Lord. Committing to raise him in church, committing to love and correct him, committing to introduce him to Jesus, committing to not stand between God and him and committing really to give him completely over to God. I ask that you pray for us in this HUGE endeavor.