From Oppression To Blessing - Hannah

Hi again, the account of Hannah’s plight is one that we can all feel for. But there are a few lovely points that come out of this story that we can relate to our selves and how the enemy attacks us and especially within the single's area.

The account of Hannah.
1 Samuel 1:4-8. “Hannah was given a worthy portion” This word “worthy” here refers to having a double portion, a double blessing.
See how this can be likened to us, God may bless us in many ways, may be with health, a measure of wealth and so on. God may have given us special gifts or abilities, or we may have a special closeness to Him.
This could the double or worthy portion.
But for Hannah this did not completely meet her deep needs. She had a good husband, who cared for her, but even with her blessings she was still a woman of sorrow.
I don’t believe that Hannah suffered emotional pain all the time, she surely had happy times and with her husband. But it was the time of year when they all went to Shiloh to offer to God, it was here that her adversary her rival to her husband (Elkanah had two wives Hannah and Peninnah ) would begin to torment and oppress her.
She forgot of all the happy times that she surely had and focused in on this unbearable pain.
Her husband says “am I not better than ten sons” but Hannah’s pain was so real and deep that he could do nothing to bring comfort.

For us we have times of happiness and joy, but then our enemy comes and oppresses us with hurt and emotional pain as we see others with companions, or other blessings just as Hannah saw her rivals children.
The enemy will often attack us while we go on holiday or have days off. He will attack us when we see others blest while we remain hurt and cut to the heart about some issue.
God says to us like Elkanah “am I not better than a wife or husband” Yes of course God is, but when we hurt so bad, there seems nothing or no one to fill that very real void.
But look at this, Hannah was driven to PRAY and rely upon God. She got to know God in a real way that only suffering could bring. She gained FAITH and became STRONG. She had a NEW JOY when she knew that God had heard her cry. You see Hannah’s pain and wait was not to make her miserable but to mould her character, and to refine her into a godly woman who would give her child to God and to be reared in the temple with Eli. What woman would normally give her child away? None! But God needed Samuel to be trained by Eli about godly things, for he would be the one to liberate Israel. You see our NEEDS and DESIRES must be inline with Gods time and the needs of others.. His greater plan.
God blest Hannah’s life with 5 more children. What a happy end to her life!!
Thought: Let Oppression drive us to cry out for blessing.
What blessing comes to those who wait for Gods time!!

Yes you are quite right concerning rachel and Jacob, Ive never seen it like that before, thanks for that ...it must have been a tough wait for 7 yrs .. but shows that WAITING is one of those things that we all must endure ,,,and be blest by. Bless you JOHN