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Fruitful

Hannah’s Deserate Plea

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1 Samuel 2:1-10

[1] And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
[2] There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
[3] Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
[4] The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
[5] They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
[6] The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
[7] The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
[8] He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
[9] He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
[10] The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

Hannah was willing to relinquish the very thing she was asking for.

What a heavy price she paid. When Samuel was born she only had him to herself for a couple of years before giving him up to Eli. After that she only saw him once a year when she and Elkanah went up to Shiloh for the annual sacrifice. Was the outcome worth the price? Hannah thought so because as she released Samuel into Eli’s hands she prayed another poetic prayer of triumph exalting God.

I believe that Hannah’s prayer and resulting sacrifice paid the price for the anointing that was on Samuel over his entire life. She thought she was asking for a child for herself but Israel got a Judge and a Prophet of unparalleled character and worth. God closed Hannah’s womb to see what that would produce.

Things could have turned out far differently. What if Hannah had chosen self pity when she found herself barren? How about discouragement leading to bitterness and bitterness to despair? She could easily have succumbed to resigned resentment or smoldering anger with God.

When we look at Hannah we see a woman who paid a price few would willingly pay. Yet after Hannah gave Samuel up to God, the Lord visited her again and gave her three more sons and two daughters. She was abundantly fruitful in her life but it all started with barrenness.

Be A Friend And Lay It Down

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Let’s start with scripture:

John 15: 13-17

[13] Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
[14] Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
[15] Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
[16] Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
[17] These things I command you, that ye love one another.

This series of verses have probably been preached in many ways, and I personally have sat and heard this taught in many ways, but God showed this to me in a whole new view. Sure it might be old news to you, so let it be a refreshing thought to your mind.

Jesus Christ came and died for us that we would have grace through him, and that we would have salvation, therein, giving these verses meaning in the significance in the physical sense of laying down one’s life.

But how does it apply to me now in the life I live today? What does it mean to be a friend now? It’s not meaning for you to go and lay down your physical life for someone else. Christ made that sacrifice that our sins be forgiven and that we find the path to Heaven through salvation. Praise God for that.

The meaning goes a little deep then that. This is what God was showing me. See, there are many people that come into our churches, which come into our midst no matter where we are, that need us to get past ourselves, to lay down ourselves, our flesh, so that we can be about God’s business, and help them find the path to Christ.

God has ordained us to bear fruit, to speak the great things about him, to be that witness, therefore, to share our testimony, and not to be stuck up or too proud to share what God has done for us; in other words, to not be too busy for someone in need. We need to be more Christ-like then ever in these days that we are living in, for we are the only light that people will ever see. And if we are not shining the light, how will they ever find the way through the darkness they walk through every single day?

Be willing to lay yourself down, just as Christ did, in the spiritual sense, so that someone else might have a chance to have a breakthrough and have that great experience as you once did, to find that compassion that someone once showed you. What a powerful word God has shown me, if we can only apply this quickly and do it at a more even quicker rate! Help me get this out to the masses! I know you can!