Do you ever feel that there are people who just seem to get away with everything
and never get caught or brought down?
and never get caught or brought down?
Hannah had the same problem in 1 Samuel 1. Peninnah, the other wife, provoked her and made Hannah's life miserable. But she kept on having children and Hannah didn't. Hannah could have bite back at Peninnah but she draws near to God in a desperate manner or as in verse 10 says in the bitterness of her soul. As we all know, she prays that God could give her a son and that she would dedicate his life to God. God hears her and gives her a son. Hannah names him Samuel and keeps her vow. When little Samuel is weaned, she gives him to Eli the priest for God to work in him and through him.
Hannah then gives us this beautiful prayer of praise and shows us the faith she has in her God who is in control. Second Samuel 2:1-10,
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn[a] is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
My horn[a] is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
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.
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the Lord is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.
6 “The Lord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.
“For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
“For by strength no man shall prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
And He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
“For by strength no man shall prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the horn of His anointed.”
And exalt the horn of His anointed.”
~Verse 1 states that our horn is exalted in the Lord. What does horn mean? It means power or strength. It is like God gives us this conscious strength where we can hold our heads up high. Through this awareness of our strength from God, we can smile at our enemies. We can rejoice in our salvation. It is only through Him giving us the power and strength to do so. No matter what that person has done to us or others, we can have strength to trust in our God.
~Verse 2 states that God is one of a kind. There is no one like Him. Because He is the one and only true God, He is our rock, our firm foundation. So no matter what that person does or say, God sets us up high on who He is. We can have faith in that.
~ Verse 3 states that God is the God of knowledge. He knows every single one of our thoughts including that person that drives us buggy. He knows why they do the things they do. Only God can see that person's actions and the thoughts behind them. It is like Hannah was giving a warning to those who are proud because God does know their thoughts behind their actions. We too can hold onto that. He is in control.
~Verses 6-7 states that God is in control of who He lifts up and who He brings down. He is in control of who dies and who stays alive. That person seems like they are getting away with things but God knows when and how He will humble them. He knows what is best because He is in control of all things.
~ Verse 9 states that God is on the side of those who are His saints. He clearly is unhappy with those who do their own thing and they are left in darkness. The point though is all strength comes from God. He is there for those who do His will and He allows those who reject Him sit in darkness.
~ Verse 10 states that God does not allow those who are against Him get away with things. He is actively involved in those people's lives who are not doing His will. He is the true Judge! He sees those who do wrong and shows His authority to them.
To sum it up, God is the true Judge! He knows people's thoughts and judges their ways. He will bring them down or lift them up. We cannot question but we can trust in our salvation and stand firm on our Rock. Because through trusting in these promises, we can smile at our enemies because He is in control of all things.
linking up #tellhisstory, Coffee for your heart, and Thankful Thursday
Hi Kristina, thank you for sharing Hannah's story -- there is so much that we can learn from her. I would do well to imitate her willingness to turn to God above everything else. If I did that more often, I would save myself a whole lot of stress. :-)
ReplyDeleteWishing you blessings!
Hannah's story is awesome! Thanks for commenting!
DeleteI just finished reading through I Samuel, and this morning my devotional book reading was about Hannah. Especially enjoyed your thoughts because this story is fresh on my mind. (Visiting today from #TellHisStory where we are neighbors today.)
ReplyDeleteI love how God does that! What did you learn from your devotion this morning?
DeleteWhat incredible promises to hold on to. Thanks for linking up with Thankful Thursday.
ReplyDeleteThis is convicting, Kristina. Entrusting those people to God. I'll be thinking about that all morning.
ReplyDelete