William’s Walk

Hello everyone,  Like I said yesterday, I started my study on the first book of Samuel earlier this week. Up to this morning I have read through chapter 11. There were many things I could write about but I don’t feel I should be writing just for the sake writing yet another email or blog. So after some thoughtful prayer I feel like the message that God wants me to convey this week is the upholding of faith during what may seem to be very saddening situations and the sacrifices that need to be taken in order for His will to be done. I will attempt to explain the first chapter of this book and highlight some important aspects of it.  

Hannah was a wife of Elkanah of which whom had two wives. Hannah was loved very much by him but was unable to produce children for him. The story goes on to say that year after year she would go to worship the Lord, and she would be ridiculed by the other wife for not being able to have children. She was deeply saddened and at times would not even be able to eat due to the severity of her depression. But even after all the torment she would continue to worship and pray to the Lord.  

While praying to the Lord she made a vow that if the Lord would remember her and give her a child she would in turn give the child back to the Lord for all of his days. She was witnessed by Eli “the priest” looking deeply depressed and appearing to be drunk so he questioned her on her state of being. She replied in sadness but also with respect for she new Eli was a man of God. After explaining her situation he told her to go along in peace and that God would grant her request. Over a short period of time the Lord did grant her request and she did become pregnant. And in turn, after the baby was weaned, Hannah did just as she promised and turned her son Samuel over to the Lord.  

There is more I can go into but I will stop here in order to make my point. We learn here that she went years pleading with God for her prayers to be answered. Not by her timeline but rather by the timeline of God. Her passion and honesty with the Lord and her perseverance paid off. And God did use her son for the work of His people. How easy would it have been for her to just give up and blaspheme God for ignoring her? How easy could it have been for her to keep her son after his birth and not keep her promise to the Lord?  

Do you have enough patience to wait until the time is right for God to answer your prayers? Do you know that just because we pray it may not happen like we are praying for it to happen and that we may be shown another way, God’s way? Do you fully understand that God is working in your life and if you can wait and be fully committed to the Lord, His will most certainly be done in your life? Too often I think we like to take the easy road, and pray for something a few times and if we don’t get immediate results give up. We then say it must not be the will of God or even worse say that He is not listening to us. Just by this passage alone you can see that God was listening was working on answering her prayers and ultimately did. What are we willing to sacrifice for the Lord in order for our prayers to be answered? She gave up her son. What will you give up in order to walk with the Lord? I am sure she was no different that you or I. We just have to be steadfast in our devotion to the Lord and must seek Him in prayer and in worship daily. Give all your situations and decisions to Him and trust that you are not alone in dealing with them. Talk to God about everything and He will be with you, just give Him time. Remember, that is His will we should be seeking not ours. 

Continue faithfully on your walk with God. Remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. God just may call on you to give up something in order to complete his plan for you. Listen carefully to what He is telling you.  

Thank you all again for taking the time to read this, I will be in touch in the next few days.  

William

http://thechristianwalk.wordpress.com