12-5-2016

Good Morning All,

              1 Samuel 1:13; ^“Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard”.

      The story of Hannah.  This is one of those sad stories.  Hannah was married to a man named Elkanah.  Hannah wanted children, especially a son, but couldn’t have any.  If that wasn’t sad enough, she had a “sister wife” as in Elkanah had two wives.  The other wife, Peninnah, had children and she tormented Hannah for not being able to have children. I cannot think of anything more cruel than to torment a woman who wants to have a child but can’t.

    For years, Hannah cried to the Lord; each time her prayers became more desperate.  Each time the pain was deeper.  Her prayers were so intense and earnest that she moved her lips but no sound came out.  Yet she continued to cry out to God until he answered her prayer and gave her a son, Samuel, and then her prayer turned to one of joy and celebration!

     I hope none of you have ever been in this situation.  Yet I am sure many of us can relate.  At some time in our life we have felt tormented.  Maybe it was when you were in school and something embarrassing happened and no one would let it go.  Perhaps you have neighbors who always go on fancy vacations while you struggle just to get a weekend off.  Perhaps your co-workers get a new car every couple of years while you keep driving that ten year old car.  Perhaps it is more painful; maybe someone you thought loved you, left to find someone new.  Perhaps a son or a daughter doesn’t call anymore.  Perhaps a divorce has cost you time with a grandchild; life can be painful.

     The one thing I would like you to take away from this is that Hannah turned to God in prayer.  She didn’t turn to Oprah or Dr. Phil or Ellen; she turned to God in prayer.  She didn’t call her friends or go to FaceBook; she prayed to God.  She poured out her heart and all her pain to God.  She felt so much pain that she couldn’t even speak but she turned to God and God listened.  She found her comfort in God’s grace.  God was her source of comfort and hope.  God is our source of comfort and hope.

    This doesn’t mean that you shut your family and friends out; remember they are God’s hands and shoulders when life’s struggles occur.  But don’t try and shut God out either.  God invites us to come to him with our fears and our sorrows, our pain and our sadness.  He knows about the cruelty we face; he knows the sorrows that wait for us each day.  He invites us to call upon is name and to listen to his comfort.  He will use your family, your friends, your brothers and 

     We will face pain and sorrow in this life; a sinful world guarantees it.  Yet we can suffer alone and battle our demons by our self or we can let God defend us, comfort us and protect us.  Even in our greatest pain, God hears and answers us.

Dearest Father, we cry and you hear.  You comfort us and give us hope.  Be with us as we cry, be with us as we rejoice.  Give those who are suffering the pains of this world and see no hope to hear your voice of comfort and peace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret