From Nope to Hope, Part 2 of 2

Last week, I shared lessons I learned from Hannah for us Christian singles from 1 Samuel 1 through 2:11. I went over these first two ideas last week:

1. There’s always a background that others won’t understand, but God knows.

2. Go to God with your pain first, not people.

Read the entire thing here: https://glendablogz.com/2018/07/24/from-nope-to-hope-part-1-of-2/ I’m sharing the last four today.

3. Just know that others may misunderstand your responses.

1 Samuel 1:12–18

Hannah was named first in this narrative, so according to the Jewish custom of naming the most important person on a list first, she was probably Elkanah’s first and most loved wife. The other wife may have known that Elkanah only married her because he needed children, and to console herself, she took it out on Hannah. Their story sounds like the discord between Leah and Rachel, whose womb God also had closed, though she was Jacob’s favorite. It happens.

Lesson: It’s okay to clarify your emotions and desires to others, but don’t depend on that fixing anything. Your hope must be in Christ. Many will say ignorant or insensitive things in an attempt to comfort you. How many of the 42 ignorant things from this list have people told you about your “still being single”? Stupid Things People Say to Singles. Nope!

Others will choose to misunderstand your expression, flaunting what they have and trying to put you down, like Penninah did. Nothing will fix their stubborn pride except for repentance. Nope! Leave them alone and don’t respond to their insults (1 Peter 1:9–12, Proverbs 26:4).

Note: A little power is a dangerous thing in the hands of the ignorant and the ignoble. Using that power to hurt others, especially when they are already down, is called oppression, and God hates oppression. Know that anyone who adds to your burdens, dejection, and suffering are adding to their own punishment (Genesis 42:21–23, Isaiah 30:12–13, 1 Peter 4:19, Psalm 146:7–9). Be sure to pray for them, like Job did for his friends (Job 42:7–12).

4. Go to someone who has both truth and compassion for advice and comfort.

1 Samuel 1:12–18

Hannah knew that the burden of barrenness was hers alone and shared it with very few. When they showed up for their annual sacrifice, Eli engaged her in conversation with a rebuke. She was so burdened that she unloaded her heart.

Eli was one of only two men who served as judge, prophet, and high priest in Israel. Though Eli was passive and ineffective as a parent, he was used by the Lord to lead and encourage His people. He called out what he thought was unacceptable behavior. When Hannah shared her sorrow, he believed her and blessed her.

Lesson: Whether it’s a church staff member or a good friend, go to someone who treasures both God’s Word and God’s people for advice and comfort. Too many of us singles go to food, shopping, sex, drugs & alcohol, social media, critical persons, and other inadequate substitutes for true comfort. Nope! Only the Lord and a caring but biblically balanced soul can truly comfort us.

5. When the Lord does it, He alone gets the glory and everyone is blessed! 

1 Samuel 1:17–28

God alone receives the glory when He performs the impossible by the sheer power of His words. When Hannah received those words into her soul, her demeanor changed from deep sorrow to peaceful confidence. She didn’t know that she would have several more kids (1 Samuel 2:21); she just knew the Lord heard her prayer for a son, whom she promised to dedicate to God’s service.

The Lord set up this very moment of blessing for more than just her, however. Her son, Samuel, who would become Eli’s protégé, would be the only other man in the history of Israel who would be its judge, prophet, and high priest. Samuel became Israel’s most illustrious judge, anointing and guiding the first two kings of Israel.

Hannah reentered life energized by the blessing of God through hope in Eli’s prophetic words. She left from pouring out her heart, stopped fasting, ate, and worshiped the next morning before leaving for home. She left her dejection behind and engaged in the act of marriage that evening, becoming pregnant.

Lesson: Know that when you receive a word from the Lord, have confidence that it will happen. Your next step is to thank and praise God for your promise. Your next step after that is to demonstrate your renewed faith through obedience.  Start taking steps toward what you know to be God’s will. When doubt tries to creep back in, tell yourself, “Nope! The Lord has changed my nope to hope and my no to go, so I’m not listening to any of that!” and keep pressing forward.

And be sure to keep any promises you make to Him. If you don’t think you’ll have to keep a rash promise made while bargaining with God, don’t bargain and don’t promise (Deuteronomy 23:21).

6. God’s working will always generate exponentially more than the works of the flesh. 

1 Samuel 1:17–28

The Lord did more through that meeting between Hannah and Eli than all her years of crying and pleading. She understood that her only hope for a child was the Lord (Psalm 39:7) and that He answered prayer (Psalm 66). She knew her request was reasonable, and He never told her He was never going to give her a son, so she never stopped petitioning Him (Exodus 3:9, 1 Chronicles 16:11, Psalm 88:1-2 & 116:2, Luke 18:1-8).

She was wise enough not to do the Sarah thing, who demanded that her husband Abraham father a child through her maid (Genesis 16:1-4). Hannah realized that the flesh didn’t profit anything at all (John 6:63), so all she could do was trust God. She never knew how influential she would be as the mother of the most important prophet of Israel up to that point in time.

Lesson:  Don’t resort to fleshly means of getting your will done. Nope! That always leads to disaster and shortcomings. Be determined to do God’s will, God’s way, and receive His full blessing, even if it’s not in your timing.

Let God turn your nope to hope. His hope is dope!