When the woman put her trust in God…….

“Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel

grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”

And she said, “let your maidservant find favor in your sight.”

So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer

sad. “

1 Samuel 1:17, 18

 

This story is very close to my heart. Hannah’s story encourages

me every time I read it.

I want to touch on something that I noticed as I read her story

again.

 

How many of us can identify with Hannah? She was trusting God

for a child. In the meantime she was been ridiculed and verbally

abused by Peninnah. How hard that must of been.

 

Let’s look at another important point.

 

“This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice

to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh.”

1 Samuel 1:3

 

The bible doesn’t tell us the exact amount of years they went to

worship. All we know is that Hannah couldn’t have children.

But every year she went to worship and every year she had to deal

with the onslaught of words from Peninnah. That must of being so

hard to deal with.

 

But there is something I want you to see.

When Eli spoke to her she did something amazing. Let’s look

at the scripture,

 

“Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel

grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”

And she said, Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.

So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer 

sad. “

1 Samuel 1:17, 18

 

“She went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad”

 

That act really spoke to me.

She believed the word. She had faith she had her answer and

changed her attitude and behavior!

 

I haven’t been doing that enough.

I should live with an attitude of faith.

If I am going to receive what God has promised me

there has to be a change of heart, there has to be a change of attitude,

and a change of behavior. I can’t have faith and walk around like nothing

is going to happen. I can’t have faith in God and live like God hasn’t

heard me. That was such a powerful revelation for me.

Hannah didn’t hesitate when she heard the word.

And look at what happened when she did that,

 

“Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the 

Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. 

And Elkanah knew his wife, and the Lord remembered her.

So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived 

and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “

because I have asked for him from the Lord.”

1 Samuel 1:19, 20 (emphasis mine)

 

Not only did she change her attitude and behavior but she

worshiped the Lord with her husband!

Worship is so important in the life of a believer.

In her mind her prayer had been answered and that’s

why she worshiped the Lord!

I don’t know about you but that blows my mind.

What are you worshiping God for today?

If you have your answer worship!

If you don’t see your answer still worship!

We need to live a life of worship.

We don’t just worship when we get stuff,

we also worship Him because He is God!

 

What did their worship sound like?

I think they were worshiping the Lord for giving them a child.

They were worshiping Him because He heard their prayers.

That is amazing.

 

Even the words she spoke changed!

Her faith in God had an impact on what came out of her mouth.

Your faith should be spoken out, friends.

You can’t speak negatively and say you have faith.

You can’t speak negatively and see your breakthrough!

The way you speak must change if you have faith.

You should be worshiping the Lord for the great things He has done for you!

 

As I close I would like you to think about how you are speaking?

What is your attitude and behavior like?

Are you complaining, are you talking about how things

are not going to workout or are you speaking out what you believe?

 

And that is my challenge to you today friends…..

 

Bless you

 

Rolain

 

 

A story like no other….!

 

Did you know your story is unique? The story God has written

for you is like no other. No one else has your story. That is how

great God is. He has given every man and woman a story and

that story is not the same.  Our stories are all unique. That

blows my mind.

I posted these thoughts on my Facebook page but I want to go

deeper. It’s important to know your story is unique.

Without that understanding you will live your life comparing

yourself to others. God never meant us to live someone

else’s life. I will say that again,

 

God never meant us to live someone else’s life!

 

No one else has your story. Your story is unique.

God is not lazy. He never copies and pastes stories.

And that’s why you have to very careful when judging others.

Everyone is on a journey.

 

Let’s look at the story of Hannah and Peninnah.

 

^” When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give to

Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters portions [of the

sacrificial meat].

But to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah,

but the Lord had given her no children.

[This embarrassed and grieved Hannah] and her rival provoked

her greatly to vex her, because the Lord had left her childless.”

1 Samuel 1:4-6

Hannah was on a journey. At this point her story had

only just begun but Peninnah didn’t understand that. She didn’t

understand God had a different story for everyone. As hard

as it was to understand and accept God had written a unique

story for Hannah.

Peninnah came in at a critical part of Hannah’s story thinking it

was the WHOLE story. How wrong she was.

God had something amazing in store for Hannah.

Don’t despise where you are at this moment in time. God is

the One who has written your story and He is so faithful!!

Please remember that your story is original. No one else

has a story like yours. There is no need to compare your story.

Run YOUR race and not the next person’s.

Let’s encourage each other in this friends.

God bless you

Rolain

Do we really understand His faithfulness??

“For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are

everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all

generations. “

Psalm 101:5

 

“His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations”

 

This verse has been on my heart this week. The Lord is so

faithful. This past week has been interesting because I have

been reminded about the things I am trusting God for. Those

things haven’t come to pass as yet. Nothing seems to be

happening. I have asked God the “why” question and the

“when” question and as I have done that the scripture I shared

has been bubbling in my spirit. Even in the “hard to understand

times” God is faithful!

 

“His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations”

 

It may “seem” like nothing is happening at the moment but

the Lord is faithful! He really is….

 

The word says “His faithfulness and truth endure to ALL

generations!”

God was faithful to Abraham when He told him to

leave his home to go to a place he didn’t know.

 

“The Lord had said to Abraham, “Leave your native country,

your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land

that I will show you.”

Genesis 12:1

 

A hundred and one things could of gone wrong for Abraham.

Leaving what you know to go to a place you have

never seen and never heard of is crazy right.

But Abraham obeyed and went and God’s faithfulness protected

him as he went. God blessed Abraham, protected him and

directed his every step. Abraham had favor where he went.

That was God’s faithfulness operating in his life.

 

The Lord was faithful to Adam and Eve when they ate of the

tree that God told them not to eat. They were doomed when they

ate the fruit. The enemy had won if it wasn’t for God’s

faithfulness to Adam and Eve! (Genesis 3)

Without God’s faithfulness we would be doomed.

 

“His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations”

 

Generations later we see God’s faithfulness in the life of Hannah.

She was barren and because of that she was constantly

ridiculed by Peninnah. It seemed like Peninnah would be

victorious. It seemed like her negative words would ring

true in Hannah’s life.

 

“So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because

the Lord had kept her from having children.

Year after year it was the same – Peninnah would taunt Hannah

as they went to the tabernacle.

Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not

even eat.”

1 Samuel 1:6, 7

 

But God was faithful to Hannah! He answered her prayer and

granted her heart’s desire by giving her a child, Samuel!

Year after year it seemed like nothing was happening for

Hannah. There was no relief from the taunting. But God is

faithful and even in that dark time God’s faithfulness prevailed.

Because of God’s faithfulness Hannah had a child and

a testimony! (1 Samuel 2)

 

“And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from

God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home

is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be

His people. God Himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear

from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or

crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Revelation 21:2-4

 

God’s faithfulness is everlasting. Even in the end of time we see

His faithfulness!

 

Throughout scripture we see God’s faithfulness. Generation after

generation we see His faithfulness at work. His faithfulness

was at work then and it’s at work now. I know things don’t

seem to be happening right now but God is faithful.

Last month I went on tour to Zambia and I was involved in

a very serious car accident. I was supposed to be dead. At the very

least I was supposed to be seriously injured but because of

God’s faithfulness I escaped unscathed.

When my country came to a standstill in 2008 with no food

in the country and our dollar crashing it was God’s faithfulness

that kept me. When I didn’t know where the next meal would

come from God was faithful. So no matter what is happening

or not happening at the moment I know God is faithful!

 

Why I am sharing this with you? I am sharing this with you

because no matter what you going through know that God

is faithful. Troubles will come in their droves but

God is faithful and He will deliver you from them all!

He was faithful yesterday, He is faithful today and He

will still be faithful tomorrow!

His faithfulness will outlive us all!!

Because He is faithful your darkness will turn to light.

Because He is faithful everything will turn out alright.

The enemy will not win over you because of God’s faithfulness!

You will have a testimony because of His faithfulness.

Because of His faithfulness your posterity is blessed!

 

It will take all of eternity

to write of God’s faithfulness so as I close my hope is that you

will get a revelation of God’s faithfulness in your life.

I hope the very few stories I have

shared will encourage you to rely on His faithfulness in your hard

times. In the dark know He is faithful.

His faithfulness might not manifest itself in the way we expect and

the time we expect but know this, He is faithful!  That truth is

irrefutable! Have a blessed day friends…….

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God silenced her voice…..

“But to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah,

but the Lord had given her no children.

[This embarrased and grieved Hannah] and her rival provoked

her greatly to vex her, because the Lord had left her childless.”

1 Samuel 1:5, 6

 

There are times I feel like Hannah. It seems like people

are getting on with life and here I am still waiting…….

They look and wonder then ask, dude???

What’s going on? Why haven’t you got that, why aren’t you where

we at? Is everthing okay? What’s wrong with you?

What about you? Do you ever feel like Hannah?

 

I wish I had the answer but I didn’t and that is what Hannah

felt like. She was embarrased and grieved. There was nothing

she could say…..the Lord had left her childless!

Off course there was a reason she was barren. God had a plan

for Hannah but it was hard for her to understand. Peninnah was her

oppressor. It’s hard to understand for all of us I guess. We need to

know that God is good! His plan for us is good no matter how hard

things get.

We hear a lot of Peninnah in the first chapter. She is in Hannah’s

face and in life we will have Peninnah’s. Peninnah was provoking

her out of jealousy. The people who are ridiculing you have their

reasons but don’t worry about them. There will always be

Peninnah’s in your life!

 

But then at the right time God came to her rescue.

 

“The family rose early the next morning, worshiped before

the Lord, and returned to their home in Ramah.

Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. “

1 Samuel 1:19

 

The Lord remembered Hannah!

 

Hannah may of thought God had forgotten her but it wasn’t

true. God was up to something. He had a plan for her life.

He remembered her and gave her her heart’s deepest desire!

God has not forgotten you friends. You are on His mind.

He will silence the Peninnah’s in your life by giving you

what you have asked for! No matter how long you have waited,

He remembers you.

We don’t hear of Peninnah after the Lord remembered Hannah.

We don’t hear her provokings, her ridicules, her words of hate.

God silenced her voice completely and that is His plan for you too.

It grieves Him when people speak against you.

His plan is to silence her voice in your life completely!

 

“Hannah prayed, and said, My heart exults and triumphs in

the Lord; my horn (my strength) is lifted up in the Lord.

My mouth is no longer silent, for it is opened wide over my

enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.”

1 Samuel 2:2

 

Peninnah had managed to silence Hannah’s voice. Hannah

had believed what Peninnah was saying. So she remained

silent BUT God made it possible for her to open her mouth!

Yipeeee….!!!!

The enemy’s goal is to shut you up always. He doesn’t want you

praising the Lord and giving Him the glory. Don’t let the

negative voices in your life silence you. Don’t believe what

they are saying becasue it’s just not true!

We will not deny Hannah was barren but it was never

meant to last. Peninnah underestimated the power of God

in Hannah’s life. Remember, the situation you are in will not

last forever. God will open your mouth again! You will praise Him,

you exult Him because of His salvation in your life…..

 

“Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,

but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren

has borne seven, but she who has many children languishes

and is forlorn. “

1 Samuel 2:5

 

I believe this is a warning for all those who are proud and a

promise for those who will trust Him wholeheartedly.

Peninnah had children but that didn’t give her the right to

speak to Hannah like that. She got proud and in God’s eyes

that’s was unexceptable. God hates pride.

Pride affects us all but we must fight it. Even if I become a

preisdent, that should never be a reason to look down on anyone!

Humility says, ” I am not better than anyone, no matter

what position I hold, no matter what I own, no matter where

I come from.

 

“Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,

but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.”

 

Pride makes the full go out hiring themsleves out for bread.

There is no blessing found in pride.

But we know there is a blessing in being humble. So take

this warning seriously friends. Never get to a point where

you are too important for anyone. Never get to a place where

you are looking down on another person!

That’s a word for you and for me.

 

So after all is said and done remember,

God remembers you! He loves you and has a plan for you

no matter how hard things seem at the moment!

 

Be humble!

 

Blessings to you friends!

 

Rolain

 

photo credit: google images