Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“But Samuel ministered before Yahweh, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod. Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “May Yahweh give you offspring from this woman for the petition which was asked of Yahweh.” Then they went to their own home. Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before Yahweh.”
(1 Samuel 2:18-21)

“Who is like Yahweh, our God,
    who has his seat on high,
   who stoops down to see in heaven and in the earth?
He raises up the poor out of the dust,
    and lifts up the needy from the ash heap,
that he may set him with princes,
    even with the princes of his people.
He settles the barren woman in her home
    as a joyful mother of children.
Praise Yah!”
(Psalm 113:5-9)

Hannah was loved DEARLY by her husband, but she had no children of her own. She was sad about that. She was tormented by her sister-wife about that. Her husband was good to her. Denied her nothing. Gave her extra honour. But she could not have peace in herself. So she went to God. She went to God and asked to give birth to a child, but gave that child back to God. She didn’t want to hoard it. She was willing to have the child serve God instead of always being at home with her. And she honoured that dedication. But she NEVER stopped loving the child. She made her child a coat every year. She visited every year. And when he was grown, her child settled in her hometown (1 Samuel 19:18). God didn’t stop with one. God gave her MORE children as well. God honoured her request and then gave her more.

There is no artist like God. There is no one and nothing like Him. No one is as generous. No one is as merciful. No one compares. He wants to bless us SO MUCH. But we need to be in the place to receive. We need to be willing to humble ourselves. We need to be willing to give up what we treasure and desire. That isn’t a bad thing. Because God is GOOD. God is MERCIFUL. And when we are willing to give up what we long for in order to put Him first, He always blesses us with GOOD things in return. Things that won’t harm us. Things that bless us. Things that we enjoy. He is a GOOD God.

Summary

We don’t BARGAIN with God. Hannah wasn’t begging God. She was REQUESTING a thing that would take away her perceived shame. That would stop her torment. And she wasn’t selfish. She was willing to have that child live a life dedicated to serving God. To be a benefit and a blessing to all the people, not just her and her family. She wanted the shame gone, the torment gone, and her anguish gone. She was willing to share what would do that with everyone. We should take a page from Hannah’s book. We have someone who took away our shame, our torment, and our anguish. We have someone who saved us and restored us and gives us abundant life. We should SHARE that with everyone. We should spread His Gospel. We should SHINE so that others can see what our God has done for us!