Acts 27:33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
In other words, when you’re feeling down and out, make certain you eat some food at the appropriate times, and if one decides to fast, let it be done with discretion. And now we turn to the main course of the study, in which we would focus on the scriptural instructions given to help us when we are feeling down and out.
Hannah was feeling down and out, as a result of her not being able to bear children. Back in those days it was considered by people to be a sort of curse, and the woman who could not have children was often stigmatized, hence the reason why you find Hagar making fun of Sarah, who had not borne a child as yet.
A similar situation had unfolded in the household of Elkanah, Hannah’s husband who had two wives, one of which produced children whilst the other did not. Thus, year after year had gone by, with no sign of a child, and over a period of time Hannah became depressed.
1st Samuel 1:1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: 2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
Ma The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!