Read the passage: 1 Samuel 1
v.1(Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and
his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu,
the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:)
v.2 1. In the conduct of life’s events struggles exist.
(And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the
other Peninah: and Peninah had children, but Hannah had no children.)
This is a fact accepted without argument. Struggles come in many forms.
They are a part of life.
A certain amount of struggles will always exist. i.e. economic, broken
relationships, trying to do right in a world that doesn’t always value right.
(Luke 17: 1- Then said He unto the disciples, it is impossible but that offenses
will come: …)
God has great concern for us in our struggles. (Romans 8: 28 And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose.)
v.2 2. Many struggles exist because of incorrect design on man’s part.
(two wives)
There are many struggles that believers needlessly experience.
God has standards of conduct ordered in His word.
Whenever these standards are violated or compromised, needless struggles are
going to exist. i.e. overextended activities for families, marital difficulties,
societal problems, crime, rebellious youth…
There are so many struggles in marriage today. It is because we don’t
understand God’s commitment and our responsibility to God first.
Elkanah made it hard on Hannah because of the other wife.
Man’s design will needlessly impair the believer’s service, cause him to doubt
God’s leadership and undermine his faith.
To the extent man follows his own way there are going to be struggles, many
struggles.
Struggles exist where there is no design problem; that doesn’t mean the believer
is not spiritual.
Will a Christian have struggles? yes. ie. in decision making, because he takes a
stand for Christ, living in a compromising world, my job, God’s will for my life.
God uses struggles to temper us. temper- to be brought to a proper or desired
condition by mixing or preparing.
v.3 (And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the
Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the
priests of the Lord, were there.)
v.4,5 3. Struggles exist even amidst great love.
(And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninah his wife, and to
all her sons and her daughters, portions:)(But unto Hannah he gave a worthy
portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.)
The fact that struggles exist does not mean God doesn’t love His own.
The love God has for His own is an immutable love. It cannot change.
It is an inseparable part of God’s nature. God’s love never changes.
The existence of struggles in a believer’s life which result from his own influence
or neglect may cause him to feel less loved.
A chastened believer may not feel as loved, but he is loved no less.
(Hebrews 12: 6)
It is the devil’s work to make us feel unloved.
A believer really has a different need, not for more love, but for God’s grace or
mercy or forgiveness.
The great love God has for man is experienced freely through an obedient heart.
The great love of God however, will not keep a man from rebelliously following
his own volition and experiencing frustration and heartache.
God loves him still the same.
v.6 4. The adversary uses struggles to inflict hurts.
(And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the
Lord had shut up her womb.)
In examining conflicts today (marital, family, drugs, pornography, child abuse,
…), it is obvious the adversary only cares about inflicting hurts.
These hurts come from struggles caused by man.
If a believer follows God’s word he won’t experience these struggles.
•For struggles of incorrect design, action needed is repentance.
Since struggles are going to exist a believer can either believe God’s word
(Romans 8: 28) and trust God to reveal His purposes and make the believer
strong or he will be accepting the enemy’s lie.
For struggles God initiates or allows the enemy will try to bring confusion and
discredit a believer.
He will encourage impatience, weariness, murmuring and disputing, faithlessness
and any other thing to hurt a believer, his ministry and/or those under his
authority.
•For ordinary struggles action needed is God’s strength.
Listening to the adversary is going to cause hurts. i.e. marriage, teenage
rebellion
v.7 5. The adversary uses struggles to attempt to deny a believer fellowship with God.
(And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so
she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.) eat- partake
The spiritual sustenance of a believer is absolutely essential to his spiritual well
being.
Continual fellowship with God through the provision of His word is necessary.
God has a designed purpose in every situation.
The adversary attempts to interrupt, disrupt, and deny a believer fellowship with
God. Often the adversary is not even identified and another person whom is
loved, is blamed.
Whenever a believer’s fellowship with God is impaired his relationship with every
other person will be impaired!
Then, it seems as though everything goes wrong.
The adversary authors confusion and desires to deny fellowship with God.
It is a form of idolatry focusing on the problem rather than Jesus.
If Jesus had let circumstances impair His fellowship with His Father, He would
have had little.
Circumstances only strengthened Christ’s fellowship with His Father.
v.7,8 6. God’s concern is how we respond to life’s struggles.
(And as he did so year by year, when…)(Then said Elkanah her husband to her,
Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart
grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?)
Hannah had some conforming to do- Illustrate through dedication of Samuel. v. 24
God wants every believer to become more like Christ. (Romans 8: 29) follows 8: 28
Thus, God uses everything which occurs in a believer’s life to teach him God’s
ways and to encourage him in his walk with and into Christ.
(that in everything ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance and in all knowledge,
… God is faithful …1 Corin. 1: 5-
Since struggles exist, God’s concern is man’s response of trust and thanksgiving
and joy in the Lord.
The standards of righteousness and the encouragement of the word apply in
every situation of life regardless of the struggle involved.
God wants us to learn Him. He is our need!
Hannah grew to see God as her source.
She saw God’s face before she saw God’s hand; and before she saw Samuel’s
face.
v.9 7. God desires us to rise above our struggles.
(So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk.
Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.)
Hannah gained in wisdom and was able to rise above her struggles.
The ways of God are above man.
Is. 55: 8, 9 We need to experience God’s ways.
(For my thought are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the
Lord.)
(For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thought than your thoughts.)
God desires man to gain in Godliness.
Titus 2: 12 (Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;)
1 Tim. 4: 7,8 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself
rather unto godliness,) (For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto
all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.)
Man needs to gain in wisdom and the knowledge of the word.
God’s strength is made perfect in man’s weaknesses.
2 Corin. 12: 9 My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in
weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the
power of Christ may rest upon me.)
God is a God of increase.
A believer can continually gain from life as he trusts God.
Many struggles then become eliminated because of the believer’s gained
wisdom.
The believer’s faith is greatly strengthened by his experiences in and through
Christ.
Romans 5: 3-11, (And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: …)
Romans 8: 31-39 (What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us,
who can be against us?) …
Would Hannah give a same report today? Yes, I believe so… but also Romans
8: 18 (For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.)
1 Corin. 1: 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His
Son Jesus Christ our Lord.)
The true fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ was her reward.
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