"Peni"-ante.

There are a few people in the Bible that have the distinction of being known for their bad behavior. Parents, at least parents who know their Bible well, generally don't name their children Korah or Achan or Jezebel or Vashti. Or Peninnah.

Peninnah's "fifteen seconds of fame" appear in the first few verses of First Samuel chapter 1. She was married, she had sons and daughters whose names we don't know, and she consistently provoked Hannah over a period of years.

But the cloud of harassment had a silver lining. Because Peninnah subjected Hannah to years of sadness (the King James version uses a stronger term, "anguish"), Hannah drew ever nearer to God in prayer. And, ultimately, Hannah's prayer was answered.

So here we are in the twenty-first century. Is someone harassing you and provoking you? Are their words and acts a continual indictment against what you lack, whether children or beauty or expertise? Has the barrage of criticism reduced you to tears? Have you been driven to prayer?

Hannah prayed, received a word from the Lord, and "her face was no longer sad" (First Samuel 1:18). Hannah's first son, Samuel, was respected throughout ancient Israel as a true prophet of God. And Hannah stands in perpetuity as a reflection of the heart of God, as she kept her promise and offered her son's life in faithful service to the Lord.

Thanks, Peninnah.