Hannah couldn't get pregnant. Her husband had two wives. Peninnah got pregnant at the drop of a hat, but their husband didn't love her like he loved Hannah. Knowing this, Peninnah made life miserable for Hannah, flaunting her children, especially the sons, in front of her, fueling the barren woman's feelings of inadequacy. So Hannah took it to God. A thing she did every year at the temple in Shiloh. I Samuel picks up her story at the temple when Hannah is crying out her affliction to God. She was whispering her desperation to the Lord, tears pouring down her cheeks. The priest, Eli, thought she was drunk! But her prayer, accompanied with her bitter crying, was:
O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life."
God heard, did not forget her pain and gave her a son, Samuel, whom she did give back to Him. Imagine the joy of finally having her prayer answered and her pain and shame wiped away. What would your heart be saying? Here, in part, is what she said to God:
My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies because I rejoice in Your salvation. There is none holy like the Lord. There is none besides You. There is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.
What does your heart cry out to the Lord for? I have some very desperate prayers that I have been praying for quite a long time now. Sometimes I wake in the night and do exactly what Hannah did. I cannot wake the household with loud weeping, so I mouth my heart and wet my pillow with tears to a God who I know does not forget my cries. Waiting for the answers. Still. But I know He hears.
David put it this way in Psalm 9: ...He does not forget the cry of the afflicted. Be gracious to me, O Lord. See my affliction from those who hate me, O You Who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may recount all Your praises ...that in the gates of Jerusalem I may rejoice in Your salvation.
Notice the two gates? Affliction takes us to the gates of death but answered prayer transports us to a place where we find the biggest audience we can to shout out how wonderful our God is. Affliction doesn't have to be physical. It can be spiritual or emotional. Our souls can die as surely as our bodies. Think Zoloft. So David's plea is, if you save me from the gates of hell, I'll have the opportunity to tell my city - everyone - how amazing is your rescue. He will not forget your cry. Remember: He will never fail or us forsake us.
I keep at it. This praying for things that have not yet manifested. Though my heart feels afflicted for those for whom I pray, it is not from a physical enemy, but a liar who will tell me that God doesn't hear me and doesn't care...or worse, He doesn't even exist. So, don't think you don't have a Peninnah in your life who gets pleasure from your distress. Don't agree with the lies! For there is no Rock like our God! If He was faithful to hear Hannah, He will hear you, too! Listen to what our God promises:
But Zion said: "The Lord has forsaken me. The Lord has forgotten me"
Can a woman forget her nursing child that she should have no compassion on the child of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you! Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands."
Hold that nail-scarred hand today.
O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life."
God heard, did not forget her pain and gave her a son, Samuel, whom she did give back to Him. Imagine the joy of finally having her prayer answered and her pain and shame wiped away. What would your heart be saying? Here, in part, is what she said to God:
My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies because I rejoice in Your salvation. There is none holy like the Lord. There is none besides You. There is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.
What does your heart cry out to the Lord for? I have some very desperate prayers that I have been praying for quite a long time now. Sometimes I wake in the night and do exactly what Hannah did. I cannot wake the household with loud weeping, so I mouth my heart and wet my pillow with tears to a God who I know does not forget my cries. Waiting for the answers. Still. But I know He hears.
David put it this way in Psalm 9: ...He does not forget the cry of the afflicted. Be gracious to me, O Lord. See my affliction from those who hate me, O You Who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may recount all Your praises ...that in the gates of Jerusalem I may rejoice in Your salvation.
Notice the two gates? Affliction takes us to the gates of death but answered prayer transports us to a place where we find the biggest audience we can to shout out how wonderful our God is. Affliction doesn't have to be physical. It can be spiritual or emotional. Our souls can die as surely as our bodies. Think Zoloft. So David's plea is, if you save me from the gates of hell, I'll have the opportunity to tell my city - everyone - how amazing is your rescue. He will not forget your cry. Remember: He will never fail or us forsake us.
I keep at it. This praying for things that have not yet manifested. Though my heart feels afflicted for those for whom I pray, it is not from a physical enemy, but a liar who will tell me that God doesn't hear me and doesn't care...or worse, He doesn't even exist. So, don't think you don't have a Peninnah in your life who gets pleasure from your distress. Don't agree with the lies! For there is no Rock like our God! If He was faithful to hear Hannah, He will hear you, too! Listen to what our God promises:
But Zion said: "The Lord has forsaken me. The Lord has forgotten me"
Can a woman forget her nursing child that she should have no compassion on the child of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you! Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands."
Hold that nail-scarred hand today.
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