Harvest Chapel International - Kumasi
MGD: A Lesson from Hannah
[Music] Salom, wonderful family, and welcome to today's morning glory devotion. God bless you for being a part of the just-ended prayer time. My name is Joshua from Harvest Chapel Internationalk Masse, and it is a privilege to be facilitating today's morning glory devotion. Please let's pray. Father, we thank you for your goodness and kindness towards us. Lord, we pray and commit our time in your word this morning into your hands. We pray that you believe us, refresh us and empower us. We pray that you cause your light to shine on our hearts and lives through your word and to transform us in the name of Jesus who proved unscaping. Amen. Please let's take our confession from Joshua chapter 1 verse 8. Joshua chapter 1 verse 8. This book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth, but I shall meditate in it day and night that I may observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then I will make my way prosperous and then I will have good success. Amen. The title of today's devotion is a lesson from Hannah. A lesson from Hannah. And our scripture reading is from 1st Samuel chapter 1 verse 10 to 16. 1st Samuel chapter 1 verse 10 to 16. I will be reading from the new living translation. It says, "Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord, 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. As she was praying to the Lord, Ellie watched her. Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. "Must you come here drunk?" he demanded. "Throw away your wine." "Oh no," said 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. Don't think I am a big woman, for I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow, amen." Beloved, what do you do when you are discouraged? In today's passage we see what Hannah does in the midst of a discouragement. She had been married for years and had been genuine to have children of her own. She had faced radical and disdain for her barrenness over the years and even a very obvious love and affection of her husband could not keep her from being discouraged. Despite being from a God-fearing home and being married to and under the leadership of a devout God-fearing man, this did not keep her from being discouraged. Beloved, our Lord of Master Jesus confirms to us in John 16 verse 33 that in this world we will have troubles. These troubles and storms and distresses sometimes can make us discouraged. But in that same verse, our Lord Jesus encourages us to cheer up because he has overcome the world. We can cheer up because we have someone to go through with our burdens and distresses. In Matthew 11 verse 28 to verse 30, it says, "Then Jesus said, 'Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'" Later in 1st Peter chapter 5 verse 7, the Apostle Peter also encourages us to give all our worries and anxieties and cares to go because he cares for us. So beloved, it is not strange to be discouraged. Indeed, many times the enemy of our souls seeks to discourage us like he did in the life of Job. In the hopes that we will turn away from God. But we have many great and excellent examples in the Scriptures about how to handle discouragement. Like Mahana and many others like her, we must lend to come to God in humility with all our anguish, with all the questions and burdens and worries and anxieties and fears and cares because he cares for us and he is able. His thoughts on sending us are perfect, but his thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are his ways or our ways. In Isaiah chapter 55, verse 8-9, it says, "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord, "and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." In Jeremiah chapter 29, the verse 11-13, it says, "For I know the plans are half for you," says the Lord, "they are plans for your good and not for disaster to give you a future and hope. In those days, when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. Amen." Beloved, we have this blessed assurance that the Master of the Universe has great plans for us, and though we may not know the fullness of the plan, and though sometimes it looks like we are in the midst of a disaster, we can be assured that our future is secured inescapable hands. In the midst of the trouble and the distress and the confusion in the days of adversity and discouragement, He calls us to come to Him in prayer, and He will listen to us. When we bear our hearts to Him completely, we will find Him and be able to align ourselves with His perfect plan for our lives. We will be able to find encouragement and be able to share up when we seek Him and find Him and confirm His goodwill towards us by His Holy Spirit in us. So beloved, don't let discouragement lead you to give up on continually coming to God. If necessary, call on brethren in the fifth to bear you up, but by all means come to Him and continue to bear your soul before Him, and as He did for Hunter in the days of old, and as He has done for many others at the right time, you will get that word of assurance, and in the right season, that miracle will manifest to the glory of God. Amen. Please let's take a moment with us from First Samuel chapter 1 verse 15. First Samuel chapter 1 verse 15. Oh no, sir, she replied, "I haven't been drinking wine or anything stronger, but I am very discouraged, and I'll spoil out my heart to the Lord. Amen." Please let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word that has come to us today. Lord, we pray for the grace to continue to come to you in humility, especially when we are discouraged. Let your Holy Spirit and your word have their perfect work in us, and grant us the grace to persist in prayer and trust until we see the manifestations of your perfect plans for our lives in the name of Jesus who we've done as given. Amen. Thank you for listening, and stay tuned for more Spirit Food content on Radio HCI today. Until we come your way once again, tomorrow morning at the same time, do stay blessed, and have a fruitful fast. [Music]