Hannah's Victory: A Lesson in Overcoming Through Faith
1 Samuel 1:6
And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
Do not let the lies of the enemy get in your head! Hannah knew a bit about the ways of the Lord (1 Samuel 2:1-10)! She knew that His great wisdom determined when to take life, and when to give it. She also knew that He would hear her prayer and honor her faith. She did not allow the voices of her adversary to keep her from believing God for a man child! I can hear them now, can’t you? “Hannah’s a loser! Hannah the Barren! Hannah, you’re a reproach! Hannah, God must not like you; otherwise, He would give you a baby! Hannah this, Hannah that, bla bla bla!” The criticism was so bad, that even the old man of God (Eli) mistakenly accused her of being drunk with wine, when all she was doing was pouring her heart out before the Lord! Has your good deeds ever been misinterpreted as something evil? Maybe you pour your heart and soul into a ministry, only to hear that others perceive you to be “just after the money” or “arrogant” or whatever. “Who does he think he is? Why, if I were him, I’d do it this way!” On and on it goes, and the enemy, our adversary the devil (the accuser of the brethren) specializes in highlighting all of the above in our ears, hearts, and minds, so as to make us fret! But, dear readers, there is GOOD news! When God begins to bless the fruit of your labor, the enemy must shut up and eat crow! Hannah said, “My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies!” In other words, “Who’s laughing now, devil? Who has the last Word now?” I just love it when God breaks through for us and rubs it in the devil’s face. God will make him watch while we’re so blessed that he can’t even do anything about it! For every tear we shed, we’re given a shout! For every nightmare, we’re given fresh revelation! For every yoke, we’re given an anointing strong enough to break it! All of this is at our disposal if we’ll simply dare to believe God as Hannah did! So, go ahead and let them laugh, but while they’re too busy laughing, you can be going on with your life, receiving at the hand of the Lord what they said you’d never obtain! As a matter of fact, I dare say that God was just waiting on the “challenge” (which is really no challenge at all to Him), JUST SO He could prove them wrong!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
Do not let the lies of the enemy get in your head! Hannah knew a bit about the ways of the Lord (1 Samuel 2:1-10)! She knew that His great wisdom determined when to take life, and when to give it. She also knew that He would hear her prayer and honor her faith. She did not allow the voices of her adversary to keep her from believing God for a man child! I can hear them now, can’t you? “Hannah’s a loser! Hannah the Barren! Hannah, you’re a reproach! Hannah, God must not like you; otherwise, He would give you a baby! Hannah this, Hannah that, bla bla bla!” The criticism was so bad, that even the old man of God (Eli) mistakenly accused her of being drunk with wine, when all she was doing was pouring her heart out before the Lord! Has your good deeds ever been misinterpreted as something evil? Maybe you pour your heart and soul into a ministry, only to hear that others perceive you to be “just after the money” or “arrogant” or whatever. “Who does he think he is? Why, if I were him, I’d do it this way!” On and on it goes, and the enemy, our adversary the devil (the accuser of the brethren) specializes in highlighting all of the above in our ears, hearts, and minds, so as to make us fret! But, dear readers, there is GOOD news! When God begins to bless the fruit of your labor, the enemy must shut up and eat crow! Hannah said, “My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies!” In other words, “Who’s laughing now, devil? Who has the last Word now?” I just love it when God breaks through for us and rubs it in the devil’s face. God will make him watch while we’re so blessed that he can’t even do anything about it! For every tear we shed, we’re given a shout! For every nightmare, we’re given fresh revelation! For every yoke, we’re given an anointing strong enough to break it! All of this is at our disposal if we’ll simply dare to believe God as Hannah did! So, go ahead and let them laugh, but while they’re too busy laughing, you can be going on with your life, receiving at the hand of the Lord what they said you’d never obtain! As a matter of fact, I dare say that God was just waiting on the “challenge” (which is really no challenge at all to Him), JUST SO He could prove them wrong!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill