-Meditation-
1 Samuel 1:1-2
--TheSecretPlace--
So this man named Elkanah had two wives, Peninnah, and Hannah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not. The reason I want to take an entire post on this is to merely take what we see in these verses turn it around, and even apply it to our own lives. I have found that meditation, and seeking the LORD in verses like these that we don't expect to much to come from, He tends to blow me away, and I hope that He blows you away in this time as well. Also little facts like this set the foundation for the entire time we spend digging into this passage. In the WORD every word, and every sentence is important, and deserves to be meditated upon. Sometimes I don't see the point in all of the genealogies, but I know that the Lord has even used that to speak to my heart.
So let's set the foundation.
SO Peninnah had a fruitful womb.
Hannah had a barren womb.
Back then a woman found her importance, or rather, her sense of importance, and usefulness in having children. The more babies she had, the more important, and useful she felt, and the more like a woman she felt. So we can easily see that Hannah felt some rival between Peninnah, and what tore her down even more in her heart was that she didn't even have anything to compete back with, she had no qualification to compete, and that is her qualification would be children which she had none of. Now that sounds horrible, and it is, Hannah found her importance in that which she did not have.-How often do we do that? Find our identity in that which cannot tell us who we are.
We so so often find our identity in things that cannot tell us who we are, like in other people, and in hobbies, and sports. Even though people may say nice things about us, and we may be good basketball players, and football players, but we cannot find our identity in what others say, and in how good we are in a sport. God created us to find deeper meaning in DEPTH HIMSELF. He created us to find who we are in only what HE says about us, and that is why nothing else satisfies. Even for Hannah, and Peninnah, and all of the women who 'found' who they were in how many children they had, even after they had children they had to have 'more', to somewhat be 'more' important, but we know that it doesn't work this way in God's kingdom. We have the privilege of knowing that the LORD takes delight in each of us the same, and we can not be more important than each other in any way, because the LORD says that we are ALL His favorite, and He loves us all the same!
That is truly amazing.
When we feel disqualified to live life, and to live it to the full, we can know that the LORD has bought us with a high price so that we can run this race, and go all the way.
One thing I want to look at in Hannah, and Peninnah, and Elkanah's lives is that Hannah, and Peninnah were both Elkanah's wives, and that has to be a little weird, and just not cool. Hannah was barren, and she was the wife of a man who was also married to Peninnah, who had a lot of children, Hannah probably felt a little insignificant, and compared herself to Peninnah, when really Elkanah didn't care if Hannah had children or not, he loved her anyways. Truly, w compared to someone else. We feel compared, as Hannah did, and not as important. This is how I believe Hannah felt, and this is how we sometimes feel, but I want to encourage you that even when you feel like this, know that the LORD calls you HIS ALONE, you are not shared with anyone else-you are His alone. Know that the LORD doesn't compare you to others, but sees you as you are, and loves you that way, and our part in that is to believe in His words over your life, and to not compare yourself. The LORD speaks good words over you, and I just want to encourage you to take hold of what He says about you in His word, and in His gentle whisper, and run with it. You are not disqualified to run, and EVEN IN BARRENNESS!
Even when you feel like nothing is coming from your labor, and you are just in this place of nothing going on, the LORD sees you, and you are completely qualified to run after Him with all that you are, and even if you don't see the results the LORD is moving on your behalf. =]
Be encouraged! We have not been disqualified by what we see as 'big deals'.
---Intercession---
Jesus I just thank You for all You do, and for loving, and caring for us, Your children. Lord, I pray that You would make Yourself known to me, and to Your Bride, and I pray that you would help us to set our gazes on You continually. Thank You LORD, Thank You Jesus!!
In Your Name Jesus. Amen.
Kasey
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