Aligning Our Hearts with His
Aligning our hearts, our will, our emotions can look different from one woman to the next and from one season to the next. When we align our heart and expectations with Father’s we can walk in our God given authority and influence.
Hannah – “Gracious”
I Sam 1:1-20
1 Samuel 1:1-20 (NKJV) 1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name [was] Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had two wives: the name of one [was] Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts (The Lord of Heaven’s Armies) in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, [were] there.
The Lord of Hosts:
1st time mentioned
Definition: all created agencies and forces are under the leadership or dominion of Yahweh, who made and maintains them
Out of all the names of God it did not say Jehovah Jireh my Provider,
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
4 And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb.
We see this important bit of detail that Hannah did not have access to….the Lord had closed her womb. When there is a delay in what our hearts yearn to see, sometimes our first instinct is to think that it’s demonic when sometimes it’s a DIVINE DELAY.
7 So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.
Rule #1: HEAVEN RULES
Expectation:
Every year believing that this time next year…
I’ll be a mom
I’ll be married
I’ll have a different job
My lost family member or friend will be saved
Healing will take place
I’ll have the resources that I need
Pressure from society & family
You’re not pregnant yet? What’s wrong with you?
Are you gay?
What are you waiting for?
Social media
Thoughts You Have
You’re getting older
Your eggs won’t last but so long
You’re in the age of high risk
Will I even be able to have children
Will anybody even want me
Is there something I need to do?
Is there something wrong with me?
God why have you forsaken me?
Am I good enough?
Where are you God?
Why does __________ get to have children and not me?
Why does __________ get to have ______________and not me?
Peninnah:
Expectations:
that she would be loved the way Hannah was loved
Especially once she had children that she would win the favor of her husband
That her husband would be drawn to her and love her more than Hannah
If I have another child, then he’ll love me more and favor me
If I treat Hannah mean, then I can push her out
Elkanah:
Expectations:
Hannah can’t have children, I’ll marry another wife but still favor Hannah
We’ll all get along well and be a big ole happy family
8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? [Am] I not better to you than ten sons?”
10 And she [was] in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish. 11 Then she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
She touches a place in God that she never would’ve touched if she had not been through the waiting, the mocking/teasing, the hurdles.
17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.” 18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer [sad.] 19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. 20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, [saying,] “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”
Truth #2: God Never Wastes a Trial
Truth #3: We will never be able to bring the world to Christ by becoming like it, we must not bow
Woman of grace and proven character.
Ridiculed but no record of fighting back, lashing out
She was taunted and made fun of
Year after year
She was adored by her husband, given a double portion
Patient
What Hannah didn’t do:
She didn’t dishonor her husband
She didn’t karate chop Peninnah, lash out, get revenge
Would she have given her son in the same way to the Lord
James 1:2-4 NLT
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
https://overviewbible.com/facts-prophet-samuel/
Every barren woman in the Bible (Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Manoah’s wife/Sampson’s mother, Elizabeth, Hannah) all gave birth to people who had great impact and influence in the earth.
Samuel:
Name means “God has heard”, “name of God”
From the tribe of Levi
Priest
Last judge
Saul needed wisdom so bad that he used a medium to talk to Samuel
1st of the Prophets after Moses
Anoints the first two kings: Saul & David
Ps 99:6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the Lord and He answered them.
He’s one of 8 people that God calls by name twice
2 books of the Bible are named after him
There are things that God has called you to give birth to.
Natural children
Business
Books
Ministries
Doing something with the idea(s) He’s given you
Joshua 15:16-19; Judges 1:9-15
Achsah- her father Caleb set a high standard for a man to gain her as his wife
This spoke to different audiences:
To the men
To Achsah herself
To the people around Achsah
she’s not cheap
She’s of great worth and value
She has a father who placed the bar high
One thing that we tend to struggle with is our value and worth. This shows up in the decisions we make: In the relationships we end up in, job/career choices, whether I serve in the body.
We either find our identity and value tied up in other people, in our careers, in ministry, or in possessions or the lack of any of these.
5 daughters of Zeolophehad
Numbers 27
Approached Moses, the leaders & the congregation
No father or brother to receive their portion of the promised land
Moses brought their case before the Lord, and God said give it to them
The law was rewritten because they asked for what was theirs
Paved the way for other women in their situation to receive their inheritance
Dorcas/Tabitha
Acts 9:36-42
36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named [i]Tabitha, which is translated [j]Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.
39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.