In the last couple of weeks, we have looked at the mess of anger and pride. These two topics are messes that come from inside and us trying to do things our way. These are messes of sin and can really grow out of hand so quickly. We looked at Cain and Samson, we see the warning from the Old Testament. We know that Christ came to forgive us and help us. In today's message, we looked at the life of Hannah in 1 Samuel and the mess of discouragement. There are things that happen in our life that leave a mess of discouragement to deal with. We will be working through the story of Hannah, one of the wives of Elkanah, who faced a huge mess of discouragement (I Samuel 1:15). We see what caused it, how it affected her, and what she does to overcome the mess of it. Take heart and know that God is with you and wants to help you through the discouragement you may be facing today! Discouragement is wishing things were different but not having the ability to change.
Monday:
In 1 Samuel 1, we find a man named Elkanah who has not one, but two wives. Hannah and Peninnah (1 Samuel 1:2). Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not. Hannah was discouraged. That can feel like a mess that is overwhelming, when what we thought we would experience is not what we are experiencing. At this time, historically, women who could not have children were looked down on. Being able to have children was viewed as the primary contribution to the family in the day and if you could not, people and maybe even the woman herself, would begin to question “What did I do wrong?” Or “Why is God against me?” We can become discouraged when we feel we are not doing enough. In our own discouragement, we can begin to question if God even cares. God does care!
Reflection/Action:
Today consider the discouragement you may be facing. Financial stress you can’t change? Are your children making choices that are leaving you feeling discouraged? Health? Relationships? Some struggles feel so private, like Hannah’s infertility, she felt so alone. Do you feel alone? This can make discouragement feel compounded.1 Samuel 1:15 she says she is very discouraged. Do you feel like God is against you? Take a moment to read Psalm 147:3 (NIV) “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” God is not against you. He loves you dearly. Rest in this promise today and allow him to begin to remove the discouragement from you.
Tuesday:
“Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle.” 1 Samuel 1:3a. This was about a 20 mile journey and Hannah and Peninnah would also go along. And this was an annual journey. We read in 1 Samuel 1:6 that Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because she could not have children. This caused Hannah a great deal of discouragement, to the point of crying and not eating. We all face disappointment from time to time, but disappointment that happens continually in an area of our life can cause discouragement. Comparison is a force to be reckoned with. It can make us feel so discouraged.
Reflection/Action:
Take some time today to consider an area in your life that you feel comparison or a continual disappointment is creating a mess of discouragement. With the ease of just opening social media and looking at everyone else's hi-lite reel can leave us reeling from discouragement. Is there an area of disappointment that has turned into a mess of discouragement? Invite the Lord to show you his perspective on this mess. Read Psalm 34:17-18 “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. 18) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Meditate on this verse and allow the Lord to work in those areas of disappointment and comparison.
Wednesday:
Elkanah sees Hannah going through this discouragement and says to her, 1 Samuel 1:8, “Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?” (Pastor Adam reminded us that the Old Testament serves as a warning many times. This is what not to say to your wife.) In giving Elkanah the benefit of the doubt that he loves and cares for Hannah, he just doesn't know that what he said doesn’t actually help the mess of discouragement. And rather than feeling better, Hannah feels discouraged about her discouragement.
Reflection/Action:
Have you found yourself in the middle of a mess of discouragement and someone (albeit well-meaning) tries to encourage you, but you find yourself more discouraged? We don’t always know what to say to people when they are facing discouragement. We may have thought we were encouraging someone, but it was having the opposite effect. We have all been on the receiving end of well-intentioned and not-so-well-intentioned people trying to “help” us. Let’s read from God’s Word in Jeremiah 29:11 we read “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” It may not feel that way today, but keep coming to the Lord who always has just the right encouragement for you.
Thursday:
This is where things take a bit of a turn. Hannah makes a decision. She takes action. Let’s read 1 Samuel 1:9-11”Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle.10) Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11) And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.” Now let’s look at verse 10, Hannah was in deep anguish. Can you identify with that? We then see in verse 11 she boldly prays and invites God to see her sorrow and answer her prayer. This prayer was not just a hope and a wish. It was specific. She prayed that God would give her a son. And she committed that she would give him right back to the Lord. It can seem like this is desperate and a negotiation. But this is surrender. She is being bold and saying that what she desires most, she is giving it all to God.
Reflection/Action:
Is it time for you to follow Hannah’s example? She was hurting under the mess of discouragement, but she “got up and went to pray”. I am sure this was not easy, but she did it, knowing it was the BEST course of action. Is it time for you to “get up and pray”? Psalm 43:5 says, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!”
Friday:
Hannah took action, and the priest, Eli, watched her. He was seeing her mouth moving, but did not hear any words so he thought she might have had a little too much wine. She went on to explain herself, 1 Samuel 1:15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord.” In her deep discouragement she poured her heart out to the Lord. She was recognizing that there was nothing she could do, and that for God, there was nothing He could not do. Eli tells her to go in peace and may God of Israel grant her what she has prayed about. In verse 18 she thanks him, goes out, eats again and is no longer sad. She did not have a tangible “sign” like being pregnant or having a holy visitation, but she knew that her God had her and that she could trust Him. And in giving her burden to the Lord, she was encouraged.
Reflection/Action:
Do you know that you can really trust the Lord with the mess of discouragement you are carrying? 1 Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” Pour your heart out from that place of deep discouragement. Be reminded that God cares. He sees. He knows. He can lift that mess right off of you.
Saturday:
After some time (the amount of time is unknown) Hannah has a son, Samuel. This name means-heard by God. Samuel will grow up with the priest Eli. He is the man that leads the way to King David. And then we see a follow up prayer from Hannah, a prayer of thanksgiving for what God did. 1 Samuel 2:1-2 Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. 2) No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” Don’t forget to remember the times you have seen God work. The times He has walked with you and lifted off discouragement. Be reminded He can do it again and give Him thanks.
Reflection/Action:
Read 1 Samuel 2:1-2 as a prayer to God. Sometimes we may not have the answer we want or be in the place we think we should be, however, taking some time to thank God really helps us with discouragement as well. So maybe you pray that prayer that Hannah prayed from under the mess, but trusting God. You may also be praying that prayer from a place on the other side of the mess of discouragement. But know that God is right there with you in every stage and in every season.