Hannah's Faith - An example to Follow.

Introduction

As I was studying my sermon for this week I cam a cross a paper written by Bert Christenson entitles “Things my Mother taught Me.” 1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning." 2. My mother taught me RELIGION. "You better pray that will come out of the carpet." 3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!" 4. My mother taught me LOGIC. "Because I said so, that's why." 6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident." 7. My mother taught me IRONY. "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about." 10. My mother taught me about STAMINA. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone." 11. My mother taught me about the WEATHER. "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it." 12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY. "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!" 13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out." 14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION. "Stop acting like your father!" 15. My mother taught me about ENVY. "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do." 16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. "Just wait until your father get’s home." 18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, They are going to freeze that way." 21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up." 22. My mother taught me GENETICS. "You're just like your father." 23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS. "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?" 24. My mother taught me WISDOM. "When you get to be my age, you'll understand." 25. And my favourite: my mother taught me about JUSTICE. "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

Moms we are so thankful for you!

This morning as we celebrate motherhood I want us to look at a mom in the O.T. who gives mom’s an example of Faith to follow.

Faith is completely trusting in God no matter what may happen in our lives.

It’s putting all of our hope in Him and in Him alone.

and in our story this morning we are going to read about a women who has a trial so great that the all she can do is to lay it at the throne of God and give it all to him.

Turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 1.

Hannah’s Burden (background

1 Samuel 1:1-8 “There was a certain man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 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. Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than 10 sons?” …”

here we have story of a woman named Hannah who longs to be a mother, Her deepest desire in life is to have a child of her own.

but the Bible says that her womb was closed by the Lord meaning it was God’s plan for her to not bare any children at that time. And we are going to see as our story unfolds why God allowed this to happen.

Not only could this wife not bare any children but the story tells us that the other wife of Elkanah bore him many sons and daughters, and she loved to rub it in.

Listen again to verse 6-7

1 Samuel 1:6-7 “And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.”

Hannah’s heart was broken, She was in a trial that seemed to great to bear. She was hurting, and longing for deliverance.

Ladies. Being a wife and mother brings with it many trials. Some that can seem too hard to bear.

This morning I want to encourage you as we look at the story of Hannah .

She gives us a wonderful example of Faith. What it looks to endure even the hardest trials and How we can find our joy in the working of the Lord.

As our story unfolds look at where Hannah ran to to find her comfort from her deep distress.

1 Samuel 1:9-10 “After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.

Hannah Gets up from the table and goes to the tabernacle to pray.

The firs thing we see Hannah do with her burden....

Hannah Went to the Lord and prayed

She runs to the tabernacle- because she can no longer keep her sorrow in.

This woman has antagonized her for too long and her heart is broken.

Out text says She wept uncontrollably to the Lord.

She cried out in lament asking God to heal her brokenness.

Ladies listen to her words of lament 12-

And she vowed a vow and said, “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, and no razor shall touch his head.””

Hannah Cried out to God for him to hear and answer her prayers.

Ladies I see 2 things that I want us to notice about her prayer.

1. Hannah laid it all out on the line before the Lord- She pours out her heart to him, and she Asks for him to step in and bring her healing.

She laid it all at the feet of God and gave her burdens to him.

2. Hannah prayed for Gods glory through her trial.

Hannah’s prayer was focused on God and not herself. Look at how she prays

If you will look on the affliction.....

If you will remember your servant....

If you will give your servant a son....

Then I will give what you gave me back to you - for your glory.

Hannah understood that God was the one who had the power to hear and answer prayer and she wanted him to have the glory.

Ladies, When trials come into your life and they will, the first place we should turn to is the Lord.

1 PETER 5:7 “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Like Hannah When you don’t receive the desires of your heart run to the Lord.

When your relationship with your husband is broken run to the Lord

When your children are not behaving righteously run to the Lord.

When life seems overwhelming run to the Lord

Lay it all out to him and ask him to heal your brokenness.

Transition: but ladies this is not the end of the story

Hannahs story did not end with a prayer of Lament. Listen as our text continues....

1 Samuel 1:12-18 “As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.”

The second thing we see from Hannah is that

Hannah found peace from the Lord and rested (or trusted)

As she was praying Eli the priest was watching her and thought she was drunk because her lips were moving but she was not speaking, and we he confronted her She told him that she had been praying fervently to the Lord because her heart was too heavy to bear any longer.

and after hearing Hannah explain what She was doing, eEli replied to her , “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.”

Eli’s response wasn’t a guarantee that she would have a son. Eli sent her away with His blessings. Basically he was saying I pray that God will grant your request because you have humbly prayed so fervently.

But notice Hannah’s response after she lamented and laid it at the feet of Lord.

verse 18 “ Then Hannah went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.”

Hannah went back to the celebration she had left with peace in her heart and Joy on her face, knowing that God had heard her cries.

Hannah Left her burden at the feet of the Lord knowing that he heard her lament and that he would answer her prayers.

I love what Philippians 4:6-7 says “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Ladies when you give our burdens to the Lord no matter how big or small they may be- He takes them form our shoulders and places them on his own. and in its place he gives us his peace.

How can we find peace in the midst of our trials? Because we have given it to the creator of the World and in its place he has given us his peace.

The 3rd thing we can learn from the story of Hannah is that

Hannah was heard by the Lord and was Answered.

Look with me at 1 Samuel 1:19-20 “They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.””

Hannahs cries of lament did not fall on def ears. God heard her prayers and he answered them.

1 Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.”

God hears the prayers of his children and He answers them

The apostle John wrote about prayer in

1 John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

The point is this God hears our prayers and He always answers our prayers according to his will.

For Hannah this meant that she would have a son, because that was God’s will for her life.

Moms- the best thing you could ever pray for your children is that they will live according to God’s will for their lives. That they will follow him in everything they do.

When we face trials we can cry out to God for deliverance, We can even ask for specific things our heart desires like a child. But ultimately we need to pray and find our peace knowing that God’s will will be done in our life and its this will of God that brings with it blessings to us.

Sometimes God gives us exactly what we prayed for and this is a blessing.

We love to rejoice and thank the Lord when he answers our prayer exactly like we prayed.

But Sometimes God in his sovereignty gives us a different answer to our prayer, and the question we tend to ask is why would God not give me what I desire.

After a year of marriage Amy and I decided we wanted to start our family. and Amy became pregnant with our first child. We were so excited for our new addition to come. But after a couple of months God in his sovereignty chose to take that baby in a miscarriage.

This was hard for Amy and myself to go through. Our desire was for that baby- We lamented at the loss of our unborn child.

it was hard to understand why God did not give us that child.

A few years later, My sister and her husband wanted to start a family,, and they quickly got pregnant with their first child, but God in his sovereignty chose to take that baby in a miscarriage before it was born. The got pregnant again and a 2nd miscarriage . 6 times God sent them through this trial of pregnancies ending in a miscarriage. But understand that because Amy had gone through her trial of loosing our first child she was able to be their for Jen and help her through it.

The point is this- God does all things for our good for his Glory.

GOD HAD A PLAN FOR me & THAT WAS FOR OUR GOOD AND FOR HIS GLORY. AND LOOKING back WE WOULDN’T WANT IT ANY OTHER WAY

Hannah was heard by the Lord and gave birth to a son.

When we go to God, He always hears our prayers and He always answers them in a way that is best for our Good for His glory.

understand this truth church- As God’s redeemed children we receive blessings of God in our Lives. and many of these blessings come as answered prayers.

As our story moves on the final lesson from Hannah that we see is that

Hannah Remembered the Lord and Gave him Praise

1 Samuel 1:21-23 “The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.”

When Hannah’s prayer was answered -she remembered the Lord.

She knew that God alone was the one who gave her the child

too many times we tend to forget about God’s role in answered prayers.

We dont hesitate to call out for help but

-Too often we claim the victory of answered prayers for ourselves instead of giving God all the glory for what he has done.

-When God answers your prayers give him all the glory.

As we wrap up Listen to Hannah’s response to God’s answered prayer after she leaves her son with Eli to serve God with his life.

1 Sam. 2:1 Hannah prayed,“My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted high because of the LORD.I loudly denounce my enemies, for I am happy that you delivered me.

2:2 No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one other than you!There is no rock like our God!

2:3 Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly, letting proud talk come out of your mouth!For the LORD is a God who knows; he evaluates what people do.

2:4 The bows of warriors are shattered, but those who stumble find their strength reinforced.

2:5 Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food, but the hungry no longer lack.Even the barren woman gives birth to seven, but the one with many children withers away.2:6 The LORD both kills and gives life; he brings down to the grave and raises up.2:7 The LORD impoverishes and makes wealthy; he humbles and he exalts.2:8 He lifts the weak from the dust; he raises the poor from the ash heap to seat them with princes and to bestow on them an honored position.The foundations of the earth belong to the LORD, and he has placed the world on them.2:9 He watches over his holy ones, but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness, for it is not by one’s own strength that one prevails.2:10 The LORD shatters his adversaries; he thunders against them from the heavens.The LORD executes judgment to the ends of the earth.He will strengthen his king and exalt the power of his anointed one.”

Hannah gave God all the glory for her answered prayer.

Moms as you are raising your children make sure they see you give God all the glory for your answered prayers. what a wonderful way to teach your children about the dependency we have on God.

BRING IT HOME

Ladies you have an enormous role to fill in your families. and we are so thankful for you.

I came across this humorurs job description for a mother JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required. RESPONSIBILITIES: The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, and an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility. BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

Ladies you have a role that can seem overwhelming at times and joyful at other times.

i want to encourage you to be like Hannah.

Put your faith in God alone- Knowing that He has a plan for you.

teach your children to depend on him alone.

A Godly women points the people around her to Jesus even in the midst of a trial.

When Trials come,, give it all to the Lord and lean on him for your help.

Run to the Lord and lament

Seek peace from the Lord to Endure

& Find answers from the Lord and Rejoice. .

Moms thank you for being so special in our lives.