Lesson One From Hannah in 1 Samuel…

 

But the prayer of the upright is His delight.—Proverbs 15:8b

But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. 16 “Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”—1 Samuel 1:15-16

Hannah’s Song of Gratitude to God...

And Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the LORD;

My horn 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.

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.—1 Samuel 2:1-3

Beloved...There is so much we can learn from Hannah.  As I read the Spirit of God’s words today, not only about Hannah but also through Hannah, I felt trapped and overwhelmed by time constraints. My heart truly wanted to spend hours right there in those first few chapters of 1 Samuel gleaning whatever the Lord had for me in these passages. They were for me! They have been for me (according to the notations in my Bible) since 1998.  Sadly, I didn’t have hours, but I was able to spend the remainder of the time I had, writing and meditating on the verses above.  I also bookmarked the page in my Bible so I could reread it later this evening...

Lesson 1: Hannah

—Hannah was a woman of great sorrow and in chapter 1 we find her pouring out her soul before the Lord.  If we take away nothing else from this humble and submissive woman of God, let us commit to following her example when our own hearts become overwhelmed.  

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

Selah—Psalm 62:8

The Goodness of God Endures Continually…

 

The goodness of God endures continually.—Psalm 52b

The world is filled with evil but the goodness of God endures continually. Beloved…focus your heart right there today. Let this verse be your song in the night and your light in the darkness. Let its truth lift your heart and enable your spirit to sing as the nightingale. Let it be the lens through which you view your circumstances as well as the world around you.

As a believer, Christ has stepped into our darkness.  His steadfast love never ceases. His mercy, grace, and lovingkindness surround us and follow hard after us. In Him is our hope and our comfort even and especially in the midst of tragedy, turmoil, grief and unrest.  Cleave unto Him.  His goodness endures continually.

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;

I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

I will praise You forever,

Because You have done it;

And in the presence of Your saints

I will wait on Your name, for it is good.—Psalm 52:8-9

But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [reverently] fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children,—Psalm 103:17

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever! —Psalm 107:1

I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

Wait for and confidently expect the LORD;

Be strong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for and confidently expect the LORD.—Psalm 27:13-14

The wormwood and the gall.

20 My soul still remembers

And sinks within me.

21 This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

22 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul,

"Therefore I hope in Him!"—Lamentations 3:19-24

7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;

All Your waves and billows have gone over me.

8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,

And in the night His song shall be with me—

A prayer to the God of my life.—Psalm 42:7-8

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name;

You are Mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.—Isaiah 43:1-2

“When my soul fainted within me,

I remembered the LORD;

And my prayer went up to You,

Into Your holy temple.—Jonah 2:7

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

Selah—Psalm 62:8

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”—1 John 5:4

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.—Romans 8:37-39

22 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul,

"Therefore I hope in Him!"

25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.—Lamentations 3:22-25

Zacchaeus…

 

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”—Luke 19:1-9

This morning I am praising God for Zacchaeus who was truly a lost sheep of Israel.  I am thankful that Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost...those who knew they were in need of a Savior. I am thankful for the God ordained trials and situations in each of our lives that bring us to where we find Zacchaeus in this story...in a Sycamore tree seeking Jesus. Zacchaeus had money and power but not acceptance.  He was despised and rejected by his people and seen as a traitor in Israel because of his occupation as a tax collector. Zacchaeus, however, was a blessed man. He faced rejection daily for his sin and was probably very lonely.  This must have made him long for what only Jesus could give.  Wholeness, acceptance and unfailing love. So when the opportunity came, Zacchaeus was not going to let it pass him by. 

So eager in fact, was he to see Jesus that he became like a child.  Scripture tells us he was of short stature ( thinking child again) and in order to compensate for that he ran ahead and climbed a tree so he might see Him when He passed that way.  

Zacchaeus first sought Jesus (19:3) but in 19:10 it turns out that Zacchaeus was seeking Jesus because Jesus first sought him.  This realization filled my heart with joy!   I think back on my life before coming to Jesus...from my point of view Jesus was not near to me...at best He was a far off thought for another day.  But here is the thing, He WAS near to me...

He died for me when I was still without strength...dead in my trespasses and sins.

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.—Romans 5:6 

He sought me as shepherd searches for a lost sheep.

But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."—Matthew 15:24 

He drew me with cords of love...

I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped [and] fed them.—Hosea 11:4 

And it was the goodness of God that led me to repentance.  

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.—John 6:44 

We love Him because He first loved us.—1 John 4:19 

Zacchaeus desired Jesus and was willing to lose not only his dignity but his worldly goods, also. (Vs 8)

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.--Jim Elliot  

So often we cry, Lord, who will show us any good?  Even those of us who are saved look to the wrong things to bring us peace and satisfaction. Beloved, seek after the One who desires only your good...Seek after the One who is only good.  Seek His kingdom and all else will be added. Give Him the pre-eminence!  Delight yourself in your God and He will give you the desires of your heart!!  Blessed is the man whose God is the Lord!! 

The Sacrifices of God…

 

I can’t love these words enough. Our God does not desire sacrifice…He does not delight in burnt offering. 

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart—

These, O God, You will not despise.—Psalm 51:17

How beautiful those words are to my heart. My all seeing, all knowing, all powerful God desires what cannot be imitated or faked. God knows our heart.  Our God desires truth in our inward parts. No one gets into heaven by guile. Beloved…The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.  These He WILL NOT despise.  

So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.—Acts 15:8-9

"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.—1 Chronicles 28:9

Who does the LORD dwell with?  

For thus says the High and Lofty One

Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

"I dwell in the high and holy place,

With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,

To revive the spirit of the humble,

And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.—Isaiah 57:15

On whom does He look? 

Thus says the LORD:

"Heaven is My throne,

And earth is My footstool.

Where is the house that you will build Me?

And where is the place of My rest?

For all those things My hand has made,

And all those things exist,"

Says the LORD.

"But on this one will I look:

On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,

And who trembles at My word.—Isaiah 66:1-2

The opportunity for salvation, the opportunity for forgiveness and restoration comes not when we are riding high on worldly success. It comes when we have reached the end of ourselves. It comes when we are laid low and are able to see our weaknesses and inability to do good. It is then that the truth of the saying “Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.” is proved. 

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners shall be converted to You.—Psalm 51:10-13

It is when we have a right view of the heinousness of sin, and a right view of the holiness of God, that we begin to have a right view of the hopelessness of self. It is when you are standing in the ruins of your self-will…when you feel miles away from God, that He is the nearest. That is when conversion occurs…when I have repented of my sin. That is when my joy is full.

Ending with a quote from Alan Redpath:

There is nobody to whom the Lord is nearer than the one who is so weak that he is saying, “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped” (Ps. 73:2). I would that such helplessness might be the attitude of each of us, always, in the presence of our Lord, because conscious weakness is always a prerequisite for heavenly reinforcement. When I am weak, then, and then only, am I strong. The entry of self-confidence into a man’s experience means the departure of heavenly strength.

God doesn’t just want this when we first come to Him to be saved…He wants us to walk in this truth always. He wants us acutely aware of our own need for mercy. Why?  Because He desires to bless us. When we walk humbly before Him acknowledging our need, it is then…in our weakness…that His grace is poured out over our lives. 

Don’t Get Sidetracked…

 

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"

And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."

So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"

But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."

So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."—Luke 18:18-30

Beloved…Don’t be like the sorrowful, rich young ruler, who in turn made Jesus sorrowful because of his twisted priorities.  Whatever you have on this earth…whatever you might be holding on to in this world, put it aside. If you are unsaved, bring your weary and heavy laden self to Him. If you are saved, do the same thing. Surrender all of you into His loving care and watch Him bring beauty from the sorrows of your life….day by day…moment by moment. Read His promise to you here in Luke 18 again. 

So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."

There are many hindrances that vie to keep us from the kingdom of heaven or impede our spiritual progress even after we belong to Him.  Worldly allurements prevented the escape of Lot’s wife. (Genesis 19:26) David’s attempt to use the equipment offered him by Saul delayed him.  (1 Samuel 17:39) Discouraged people opposed the building of the wall of Jerusalem in Nehemiah 4.  Unbelief hindered Christ’s work in Nazareth. (Matt 13:58) In this story worldly possessions kept back the rich young man from discipleship. Family ties prevent a man from following Christ (Luke 9:59). Hebrews 12:1 speak to us of weights and of the sin that so easily ensnares us that we are to lay aside so that we can run the race set before us with endurance.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,—Hebrews 12:1

 Verse 2 tells us how we are to do this:

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.—Hebrews 12:2

Beloved…look to the One who is bigger than anything that might keep us from His kingdom. Where our sin abounds His grace abounds much more. He has promised to complete the good work He started in us.  With Him all things are possible. He who brought us up from the miry clay and set our feet on a Rock…He is faithful. He will do it.  

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.—1 Peter 5:6-7

I waited patiently for the LORD;

And He inclined to me,

And heard my cry.

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,

Out of the miry clay,

And set my feet upon a rock,

And established my steps.

He has put a new song in my mouth—

Praise to our God;

Many will see it and fear,

And will trust in the LORD.—Psalm 40:1-3

I sought the LORD, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,

And delivers them.—Psalm 34:4-7

In Him, we are overcomers. 

For His lovingkindness prevails over us [and we triumph and overcome through Him],

And the truth of the LORD endures forever.

Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)—Psalm 117 (Amplified)

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.—Revelation 12:10-11

Riding High on the Jawbone of an Ass…

 

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it. Then Samson said:

"With the jawbone of a donkey,

Heaps upon heaps,

With the jawbone of a donkey

I have slain a thousand men!"

And so it was, when he had finished speaking, that he threw the jawbone from his hand, and called that place Ramath Lehi.

Then he became very thirsty; so he cried out to the LORD and said, "You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?" So God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out, and he drank; and his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore he called its name En Hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day. And he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines.—Judges 15:14-20

Samson was riding high on the jawbone of an ass. But just look at what little it took for him to remember that he was a man and not a god. Samson began to thirst after his victory and it was in his physical need for water that the Lord reminded him of his weakness and total dependence on Him. Sigh…I think any one of us who has ever been ill can relate. 

My Bible reading this morning included Psalm 51 and Luke 18.  As I read them, I couldn’t help but think of what Samson could have accomplished had he lived in true surrender to the Spirit of God. Psalm 51 begins this way…King David is praying:

Have mercy upon me, O God,

According to Your lovingkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,

Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions,

And my sin is always before me.—Psalm 51:1-3

Luke 18 compares the self righteous prayer of a Pharisee to the broken cries of a repentant tax collector. The tax collector prays this way:

And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'—Luke 18:13

With these readings as a backdrop, it is not surprising then that as I read the story of Samson my mind became filled with “If only’s”. 

If only Samson had:

—Repented of his pride and “self-confidence” and asked God not just for water but for also for guidance and for protection from the weakness of his own flesh….

To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

O my God, I trust in You;

Let me not be ashamed;

Let not my enemies triumph over me.

Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;

Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

Show me Your ways, O LORD;

Teach me Your paths.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation;

On You I wait all the day.—Psalm 25:1-5

do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.—Matthew 6:13

—Asked God to strengthen his inner man….

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,—Ephesians 3:16

—Realized that in his weakness he was strong…

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:9-10

—Understood that safety is found in total dependence on the Lord. 

But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

He is their strength in the time of trouble.

And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;

He shall deliver them from the wicked,

And save them,

Because they trust in Him.—Psalm 37:39-40

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust."……—Psalm 91:1-2

Beloved…with pride comes only strife and destruction.  Praying today that we would remember these lessons from Samson’s life. Oh Father!  May we revel in our weakness because it is in our weakness that You are strong.  For it is You who works in us both to will and to do for Your good pleasure. 

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!

For my soul trusts in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,

Until these calamities have passed by.

I will cry out to God Most High,

To God who performs all things for me.—Psalm 57:1-2

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the LORD,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the LORD

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.—Isaiah 40:28-1