READ: 1
SAMUEL 1:1-11, 19-28
This year,
the Lord will turn every barrenness in your life into fruitfulness in Jesus'
Name. Let us see how Hannah broke her barrenness of many years. She was the
first wife of Elkanah. God knows how many years they were married before her
husband felt he could no longer continue without a child, so he married
Peninnah, who had children for him, and that was the beginning of Hannah's nightmare.
Hannah cried her eyes out, because Peninnah deliberately vexed and taunted her over her childlessness. At the peak of it all, going to Shiloh became quite unappealing, as it appeared everything was calculated to annoy her. She has reached her Marah and there appeared no way out.
Then one day, the Lord opened her eyes to see what was going on in the temple.
Eli the priest was ageing and backslidden. His sons, who ministered as priests, were ridden with all kinds of atrocities-greed, fornicating with the temple ushers, without the fear of God in their hearts. Hannah saw a vacuum in the priesthood. Eli's sons were there, yet there was no real priest of God to take over from Eli. 'Ah!' she cried. 'What can I do?'
Beyond her barrenness Hannah saw the need in God's house. 'How can I meet that need?' she asked herself. 'Oh, if God could give me a male child to be groomed to take over from Eli, so that God's people would be served.' So she made a vow to this end. And God granted her desire and gave her Samuel.
She then took him top the temple and returned home alone. Several times she would probably call her son to send him on petty errands, before it would dawn on her that he was not at home, but at the temple many miles away. Even though she had a son, she still lived like she had none. The result of this sacrifice was five additional children, besides being the mother of one of the greatest prophets of all time. If Hannah could break her barrenness, you can too. Align your motives with God's. Take a sacrificial vow. Ask the Lord in faith and prepare for a change.
Hannah cried her eyes out, because Peninnah deliberately vexed and taunted her over her childlessness. At the peak of it all, going to Shiloh became quite unappealing, as it appeared everything was calculated to annoy her. She has reached her Marah and there appeared no way out.
Then one day, the Lord opened her eyes to see what was going on in the temple.
Eli the priest was ageing and backslidden. His sons, who ministered as priests, were ridden with all kinds of atrocities-greed, fornicating with the temple ushers, without the fear of God in their hearts. Hannah saw a vacuum in the priesthood. Eli's sons were there, yet there was no real priest of God to take over from Eli. 'Ah!' she cried. 'What can I do?'
Beyond her barrenness Hannah saw the need in God's house. 'How can I meet that need?' she asked herself. 'Oh, if God could give me a male child to be groomed to take over from Eli, so that God's people would be served.' So she made a vow to this end. And God granted her desire and gave her Samuel.
She then took him top the temple and returned home alone. Several times she would probably call her son to send him on petty errands, before it would dawn on her that he was not at home, but at the temple many miles away. Even though she had a son, she still lived like she had none. The result of this sacrifice was five additional children, besides being the mother of one of the greatest prophets of all time. If Hannah could break her barrenness, you can too. Align your motives with God's. Take a sacrificial vow. Ask the Lord in faith and prepare for a change.
MEMORIZE:
1 SAMUEL 2:3 -Talk no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come from your
mouth, for the LORD is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.
