A lot of times in our lives we are faced with trials an obstacle that threaten us to end our very existence. We are so beaten down that we don’t how we are going to survive. You have tried to do things your way and the more you put your hands on it the more you fail.
So, the question is what obstacles are you facing that has you, so brow beaten? What tribulations are you facing that keeps you up in the mid night hour? What trials are you facing that keeps you pacing the floor at night? What has happened in your life to cause you to question God’s very existence, if he is real or not? What is it? Is it family problems? Is it yourself? Is it brokenness, maybe it’s relationships? Is it your bills, or sickness in the body? Is it a Job? What is it? Is it your past life? What has caused you to feel like giving up? What is it that had you in 2020, that had you feeling like that you were not going to make it. I think that you need to ask yourself what is your Obstacle.
If we were to look at the text, we’ll see that this women Hannah was a woman of prayer. But she had what many of us would call " a raw deal in life". But what I love about her is that she did not settle for it. She refused to stay in the shape that she was in, so she did something about it.
What did she do Pastor? She went after God. She poured her heart out to Him, and He filled her and met her desire.
So, the first thing that I want to tell you this morning is don’t settle for the oke-doke, don’t be punked by the devil and his little imps. And whatever you do please don’t allow the past to hold you captive from your future.
Let’s look at Hannah’s. Hannah’s name means "grace". And Grace is defined as undeserved, unmerited, and an unearned love and the favor of God towards man as a sinner. So, when we look at her story, we will see that her experience was characterized by grace, both in terms of the favor she found with God, as well as the way in which she dealt with her situation.
When I look at Hannah I see that Hannah represent a class of women, those who deeply long to have children of their own; but for some reason, known or unknown, they are unable to do so. But we also view Hannah as a model mother, and with good reason.
Look at what she promised the Lord even before she was impregnated. She said Lord if you give me a child and male child, I’ll give him back to you. So, the Word teaches us that at her son’s birth, she dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord’s work, and when the time came, she kept her promise and left him in the temple to be prepared for a life of ministry unto the Lord. But let’s not forget that her path was not an easy one. Noticed that she was not a woman without troubles. But also noticed that her troubles didn’t kill her.
The biggest problem for Hannah was simply that she could not give birth, and within the culture that she lived, that was an extremely heavy burden to bear, because all women wanted a man child because it was said that the messiah would come through the seed of a woman.
To make matters even worse, she lived during a time when polygamy was acceptable, and she found herself despised by another woman, especially by one woman in particular named Peninnah, the other wife of her husband, Elkanah. And apparently Peninnah had no trouble getting pregnant, but the problem was that Peninnah, was cruel and she taunted of Hannah.
Now know that Peninnah’s name meant Venomous or coral. She was spiteful, hateful, hostile and full of Malice. She was an enemy or adversary toward Hannah. Her attitude clearly lived up to her name. The bible tells us that Elkanah loved Hannah but it doesn’t say that he necessarily loved Peninnah and this could have been the reason why she took every opportunity to harass, pester and badger Hannah about not being able to give birth.
It could have been that this woman was full of resentment, jealousy, anger and annoyance by the fact that Elkanah loved Hannah more than he did her. So, it seems as thou Penniah sat out to make Hannah’s life a living nightmare, Hannah suffered much mental and physical anguish under Penniah’s hand. And we know this because the bible says that Hannah wept and would not eat.
But Hannah’s response to being harassed was that she just cried and didn’t eat, it’s as though she went into a state of depression. I can imagine that she didn’t feel whole and that she didn’t feel worthy, because Hannah lived in a society where a woman was looked down on for not being able to give birth and Having Peninnah always in her face about it, made the situation worse.
And I’ve got to tell you all this morning. Instead of us accepting the things that the devil throws in our way we need to learn how to get up and pray. We need to learn to seek God’s face when our backs are against the wall. It seems like we are falling deeper and deeper into bowels of our troubles.
Well the question is well how did her husband respond to this? Well let’s give him some credit, because he tried to be understanding and supportive, by telling Hannah how much he loved her, he asked her ("am not I better to thee than ten sons?"). and to prove it, he gave her a double portion at the feast. However, it didn’t work then, and it doesn’t work now - don’t try to solve emotional distress by means of more food or by buying her diamonds. Don’t try to get over emotional distress by using drugs and alcohol as a tool. Don’t try to get over emotional distress by drowning yourself in your Job or money. Also, don’t try to solve emotional distress in the arms of a another. As hard as he tried, even as a loving husband he couldn’t remove the deep anguish and pain Hannah felt. Elkanah was no longer a substitute for she what she wanted. He was no longer substitute for the real thing. Hannah had got to the point in her life where she realized that her husband could no longer substitute what she was desiring. He could not fulfill the emptiness. So, she turned in another direction - her response becomes a model for us. Hannah turned to the Lord. Sometimes we want to run to our parent or friends to tell them our troubles and try to get a solution to our troubles, but how many of you know that they don’t know the answers, because if they did, then they would help themselves.
Some will go call the psychic hotline only to find out that they don’t even have a clue either. The only solution or answer to our troubled is Jesus. We need to learn how to run to him. I know you think that the pastors may have all of the answers. But again, I say run to Jesus.
First, we learn that she wept "in the bitterness of her soul". It seemed to her that she just couldn’t take it anymore. It was too much to bear. The shame, the lack of fulfillment, the taunting, the looks and even the words of the other woman; she was watching the children of the other wife playing in the yard, and perhaps the attention shown to them by their father was unbearable.
Does it feel that way to you sometimes? Perhaps not for the same reason as Hannah’s, but are there times when you feel helpless. And the tears flow from your eyes.
The first response was her bitter tears. But I think that I need to tell somebody this morning that when you are going through and the tears are swelling up in your eyes, I think I need to tell you to Let Them Flow - there’s nothing wrong with tears – but when they come let them flow in the presence of the Lord. And then let your crying turn into praying.
Hannah prayed:
She prayed "in her heart". Yes, her lips were moving, but no words were uttered.
Hannah "poured out her soul’ as she prayed, and Hannah prayers was not a surface prayer - it was prayer from the center of her being. It reminds us of the familiar words of the Psalmist that says, I’m pressing on the upward way, new heights I’m gaining Lord every day, still praying as I’m onward bound Lord plant me feet on higher ground. Saints we’ve got to keep praying to the Lord for ourselves, and let me show you why.
The priest, Eli, wasn’t very discerning that day - maybe he had other things on his mind, like the troubles going on in his own family (2:12-17). Because He evidently thought that Hannah was nothing but a drunken. But she had to explain to him that she was not drunk, but she was praying, she was travailing, and lifting her voice unto the Lord that her prayers were coming out of her "anguish and grief". That tells me that no matter what people think about, you that you have to keep on praying.
So we see that Hannah was persistent with her prayer. Verse 12 says that she prayed, and "kept on praying."
As part of her prayer, Hannah also made a vow (v.11).
She was simply making a vow to give back to God what was already His.
But, please notice that what the enemy meant for her bad God turned it around for her good, and God bless her with over flow, because in addition to her first child now she has four other children.
As much as the devil wanted to destroy her, God turned that thang around. And can I tell someone in the room this morning that even though the devil wanted to kill you, destroy you, depress you, and bring you down, it didn’t kill you.
I wish that I had somebody in the room who can turn to your neighbor and tell them, the devil tried me, but I’m still standing.
And I’m standing on the promises of Jesus.
I’m standing on the Word of God.
I’m standing
I’m standing
I’m standing and it didn’t kill me.
Somebody might ask well how do you know that it didn’t kill you? Tell them because I’m standing here this morning as a living testimony.
Even though I have been downcast, dejected and depressed. I’ve been disappointed, discouraged and disenchanted, I’ve been filled with bitterness and anguish. But I’m still here.
It didn’t kill me and I’m going to Trust in God No Matter What it Seems or Look Like. In fact, I don’t know about you but I’m going to trust in the Lord until I die.
