The Wednesday Word 5.10.2023

1 Samuel 1:9-20

9 Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made this vow: “O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the LORD, his hair will never be cut.” 12 As she was praying to the LORD, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!” 15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” 18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.19 The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the LORD once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the LORD remembered her plea, 20 and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the LORD for him.”

 

Pouring out your heart to the Lord is a very good idea, especially if you are filled with anguish and sorrow. It is a very good idea when you are filled with joy. When you get down to it, it is a good idea all the time. Hannah’s deepest desire was fulfilled. That doesn’t necessarily mean your every desire is going to come to fruition. God is not a genie to grant wishes. Think of it this way: just because you discuss your issue with a dear and trusted friend, it is not going to automatically come true. What discussion does is organize your thoughts, help you to evaluate the merits or flaws in your thinking, and help formulate a plan. When you lay these matters before the Lord, you are organizing, evaluating and laying down the burden of the issue or expressing your gratitude. Unlike your friend, the Lord already knows all about it. He wants to hear your take on the situation. He wants to guide you to the right next right step, steps in his direction, that will lead you to a better life. You may find the answers you seek. You may find out you were asking the wrong questions…something to pray about.

 

Don’t forget to look for the Lord today. Vicki H.


                                                                                            photo by Patrick Fore
                            




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Wednesday Word 8.17.2022

Image
  Titus 2:11-14 New Living Translation 11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. The Upper Room “New Every Morning” free devotional appears in my email box every day. I highly recommend subscribing (look for it at www.upperroom.org). There’s always a snippet from a meaningful book, then Scriptures and additional material for those who desire a deeper dive. The Holy Spirit has a way of dropping things in your lap when you least expect it. Our late friend, Judy Walker, called these “pearls.” This w...
Read more

The Wednesday Word 5.04.2022

  Psalms 51:1-2, 10-13 1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. 
 Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. 
     Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence, 
     and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, 
     and make me willing to obey you. 13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels, 
     and they will return to you.   This passage raises an interesting perspective. “…Make me willing to obey you.” King David, the author, doesn’t promise to obey. He asks for forgiveness, mercy, and grace not because he has changed his ways or even claims to have tried. David asks for another chance with a clean slate. He doesn’t claim to have had a renewed sense of loyalty or faithfulness to ...
Read more

Wednesday Word 9.08.2021

Image
  1 Samuel 8:10-18 10 So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 12 Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. 13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. 14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. 16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. 17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be...
Read more