When your Pain Births Purpose
Hannah, “prayed to the Lord.” I Samuel 1:10
Elkanah, a Levite from Ephraim, had two wives-Hannah and Penninah. Penninah had children while Hannah had none, this fact proved to be the source of a bitter rivalry between the two women. During a visit to Shiloh, Hannah prayed for a son, vowing to dedicate him to the Lord as a Nazarite.(paraphrased) (I Samuel 1:1-12 see these scriptures)
Ladies-There is so much we can learn from these Bible characters: Elkanah, Penninah, and Hannah.
Elkanah was a spiritual leader in his home. He continued to do what God commanded even though they were living during times when men did what that thought was right in their own eyes. (Judges 21:25). Elkanah took his family to worship God at the appointed times God had ordained each year. Elkanah provided for his family and made sure they had what they needed in order to serve God.
At the center of Hannah’s life stood the stigma of barrenness. She and the entire family knew that it was the Lord who blessed a husband and a wife with children, and she above all others felt the burden of truth-“The Lord had closed her womb” (I Samuel 1:5-6).
Penninah used Hannah’s barrenness to ridicule her. Added to that, Elkanah showed Hannah favoritism by giving her a double portion of provision during the feast celebrations because he felt sorry for her and he wanted her to know how deeply he loved her. Those things combined to make Penninah a rival, an enemy or adversary in Hannah’s sight. This enemy was in Hannah’s own home! Penninah year after year during worship would cause Hannah to remember her barrenness and hurt her feelings. Perhaps it was to berate her and make her feel less spiritual or to point out that she lacked less favor from the Lord.
I imagine this agitation is what led Hannah to weep before the Lord and also not eat during the feast. (I Samuel 1:6-7) Elkanah was so concerned for Hannah that He asked her, “Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” (vv.8)
Ladies-at this point in the story is where I believe God used Elkanah’s words to get Hannah’s attention. Elkanah wanted to know why Hannah was acting in such a fashion. He wondered if she might be angry and resentful because she couldn't bear children. He loved her, wasn’t his love for her better than giving birth to ten sons?
I think God wanted to know if Hannah’s bitterness was towards Him. After all, God is the one who can open and close a womb.
Could you also be angry with God about your circumstances? Are you resentful, or are you simply burdened because you never imagined your life would be the way it is; moving from place to place, your dream life shattered because you are a coach’s wife? Angry, because you are raising your kids alone, bitter because you thought you were going to live the American Dream and you are living the life of a sojourner.
Who am I talking to? Can you relate to these bible characters?
Are you like Penninah-giving the grief, making sure others are suffering?
Are you Hannah-feeling the burden and shame of not having what your neighbor has?
Are you Elkanah-living the Godly life, doing everything right and yet you can't understand why God is responding to you the way you are responding to Him. You feel forgotten by God and think you deserve better.
It is time you ask yourself any of these questions? Are you acting like any of these bible characters?
I encourage you to do what Hannah did, GO TO THE LORD. Hannah went before the Lord in prayer and poured out her heart to Him. She took her focus off herself and put her eyes on the Lord. She recognized He is the only one who can take away her deepest troubles and cause her situation to change. She poured out her soul to God and He heard her cry. (I Samuel 1:19-20).
In the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, “saying because I asked the Lord for him.”
Wow-Ladies, I remember my deepest pains as a coach’s wife; when I didn’t want to be married to a coach anymore because the life was just too hard. I resented my coach and my anger was towards the one in my home. I was also angry every time we didn’t get the job I thought we deserved and I was angry because all the other coaching families we knew were moving on to what I thought was better circumstances and we were at the bottom of the pit. I was not only angry with my coach, I was angry with God. I knew He could change our circumstances and He closed all the doors. I visited my pastor at one of my lowest moments and wanted to vent all my coaching wife problems to him and he told me to do two things: "worship and pray to the Lord."
Just like Hannah this pain produced a bigger purpose for my life. God used this bitterness to get me to say yes to this ministry. I birthed purpose for God and I named it, “His Coaches’ Wives Ministry".
Finally, I’m encouraging you with the same advice I received from my pastor. Whatever it is that makes you bitter about this life take your focus off yourself, worship and pray to the Lord. He has asked us to pray and He has promised He will hear us.
Father, thank You that we can cast our cares on You knowing that You care for us. Lord, we choose to take the focus off of ourselves and put our eyes on You. Thank You for healing and delivering us from our deepest anguish. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Hannah, “prayed to the Lord.” I Samuel 1:10
Elkanah, a Levite from Ephraim, had two wives-Hannah and Penninah. Penninah had children while Hannah had none, this fact proved to be the source of a bitter rivalry between the two women. During a visit to Shiloh, Hannah prayed for a son, vowing to dedicate him to the Lord as a Nazarite.(paraphrased) (I Samuel 1:1-12 see these scriptures)
Ladies-There is so much we can learn from these Bible characters: Elkanah, Penninah, and Hannah.
Elkanah was a spiritual leader in his home. He continued to do what God commanded even though they were living during times when men did what that thought was right in their own eyes. (Judges 21:25). Elkanah took his family to worship God at the appointed times God had ordained each year. Elkanah provided for his family and made sure they had what they needed in order to serve God.
At the center of Hannah’s life stood the stigma of barrenness. She and the entire family knew that it was the Lord who blessed a husband and a wife with children, and she above all others felt the burden of truth-“The Lord had closed her womb” (I Samuel 1:5-6).
Penninah used Hannah’s barrenness to ridicule her. Added to that, Elkanah showed Hannah favoritism by giving her a double portion of provision during the feast celebrations because he felt sorry for her and he wanted her to know how deeply he loved her. Those things combined to make Penninah a rival, an enemy or adversary in Hannah’s sight. This enemy was in Hannah’s own home! Penninah year after year during worship would cause Hannah to remember her barrenness and hurt her feelings. Perhaps it was to berate her and make her feel less spiritual or to point out that she lacked less favor from the Lord.
I imagine this agitation is what led Hannah to weep before the Lord and also not eat during the feast. (I Samuel 1:6-7) Elkanah was so concerned for Hannah that He asked her, “Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” (vv.8)
Ladies-at this point in the story is where I believe God used Elkanah’s words to get Hannah’s attention. Elkanah wanted to know why Hannah was acting in such a fashion. He wondered if she might be angry and resentful because she couldn't bear children. He loved her, wasn’t his love for her better than giving birth to ten sons?
I think God wanted to know if Hannah’s bitterness was towards Him. After all, God is the one who can open and close a womb.
Could you also be angry with God about your circumstances? Are you resentful, or are you simply burdened because you never imagined your life would be the way it is; moving from place to place, your dream life shattered because you are a coach’s wife? Angry, because you are raising your kids alone, bitter because you thought you were going to live the American Dream and you are living the life of a sojourner.
Who am I talking to? Can you relate to these bible characters?
Are you like Penninah-giving the grief, making sure others are suffering?
Are you Hannah-feeling the burden and shame of not having what your neighbor has?
Are you Elkanah-living the Godly life, doing everything right and yet you can't understand why God is responding to you the way you are responding to Him. You feel forgotten by God and think you deserve better.
It is time you ask yourself any of these questions? Are you acting like any of these bible characters?
I encourage you to do what Hannah did, GO TO THE LORD. Hannah went before the Lord in prayer and poured out her heart to Him. She took her focus off herself and put her eyes on the Lord. She recognized He is the only one who can take away her deepest troubles and cause her situation to change. She poured out her soul to God and He heard her cry. (I Samuel 1:19-20).
In the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, “saying because I asked the Lord for him.”
Wow-Ladies, I remember my deepest pains as a coach’s wife; when I didn’t want to be married to a coach anymore because the life was just too hard. I resented my coach and my anger was towards the one in my home. I was also angry every time we didn’t get the job I thought we deserved and I was angry because all the other coaching families we knew were moving on to what I thought was better circumstances and we were at the bottom of the pit. I was not only angry with my coach, I was angry with God. I knew He could change our circumstances and He closed all the doors. I visited my pastor at one of my lowest moments and wanted to vent all my coaching wife problems to him and he told me to do two things: "worship and pray to the Lord."
Just like Hannah this pain produced a bigger purpose for my life. God used this bitterness to get me to say yes to this ministry. I birthed purpose for God and I named it, “His Coaches’ Wives Ministry".
Finally, I’m encouraging you with the same advice I received from my pastor. Whatever it is that makes you bitter about this life take your focus off yourself, worship and pray to the Lord. He has asked us to pray and He has promised He will hear us.
Father, thank You that we can cast our cares on You knowing that You care for us. Lord, we choose to take the focus off of ourselves and put our eyes on You. Thank You for healing and delivering us from our deepest anguish. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
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