1 Samuel 1; Romans 1; Jeremiah 39; Psalms 13,14

“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 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.  I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord.  I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request.  Now I am giving him the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there.” 1 Samuel 1:10&11; 26-28 NLT

I can understand Hannah’s desire for a child.  And the hopelessness I felt after having two miscarriages.  Now we have a total of four kids.  There have been other times when I didn’t understand what God was doing.  I’ve prayed prayers like the one that David did in Psalms…

“O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle in my eyes, or I will die.  Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.  But I trust in your unfailing love.  I will rejoice because you have rescued me.  I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.” Psalms 13:1-6 NLT

Waiting on God can cause me to get weary.  I am grateful for others that encourage me in my faith, even when I don’t realize I need it. A friend stopped by the other day and dropped off a note and a gift she made for me. Her thoughtfulness lifted my burden and gave me the strength to get up again.

“When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.  For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ.  It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-the Jew first and also the Gentile.  This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight.  This is accomplished from start to finish by faith.  As Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” Romans 1:12-17 NLT

Dear Father, Thank you for your faithfulness.  For hearing my prayers.  Help me to listen to your prodding, to encourage someone else when they need it.  Give me the courage to share my story with those that need to hear it.  Amen.

“Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel? When the Lord restores his people, Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.” Psalms 14:7 NLT

Amy(amyctanner)

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