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Topic: Don’t Lose Hope!
[DCLM Daily Manna 6 June 2020 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: 1 Samuel 1:1-13
1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.
6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.
13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
Key Verse: “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore” (1 Samuel 1:10).
MESSAGE:
Perseverance pays. God knows where we are hurting and He is always moved by our tears of sorrow as a compassionate Father. The story of Hannah is a classic example of God’s faithfulness to those who trust Him. Although it seemed her journey to Shiloh yearly yielded no dividend, she continued. She was always part of the worshippers, though with a heavy heart. Only God knew how much she must have cried for the blessing of the womb.
Each time she went to Shiloh, she had one special request – that God should touch her womb. To make matters worse, Peninnah, her husband’s second wife, was always in the habit of deriding and reminding her of her barren status. In spite of this, Hannah persevered because she knew only God could change her situation.
Her life challenges us not to lose faith in times of adversity. A songwriter wrote, “It’s always darkest before the dawn… “ It is always at a point when it seems all hope is lost that miracles usually take place. Moreover, as believers, we must not join issues with those who employ offensive words against us based on our present status.
Instead, our prayers should always be channeled to the Lord. Some have had to employ criticism against men of God, while others have embraced blasphemy to show their level of frustration over some challenges in their lives. These actions are wrong. Prayer changes things, and God is waiting for us to show a little more commitment to Him. He has promised to bless us and change our night into day if we call upon Him.
Thought For The Day: Faith will win the victory everyday.
The Bible In One Year: 2 Samuel 6-7
