When God Says NO!

     I have been reading and pondering on Hannah. What an amazing women. Today we will look at the beginning of the story. Hannah was married to a man who was also married to another. Elkanah was the husband and Peninnah was the other wife. This story would make an amazing TV drama. Elkanah loved Hannah but Peninnah had given him several sons. Year after year Hannah took the taunting and cruel treatment of Peninnah. Peninnah rubbed it in and never let Hannah forget that God had not given her children. Every year when they went the temple Hannah was in tears before long from the treatment she received from Peninnah. Most likely, Peninnah was jealous of Hannah because Elkanah loved her so much and Hannah was jealous of Peninnah because she had give Elkanah two sons. Hannah did not turn from God; she continued to beg Him for a son. The interesting thing to me is that several times in scripture it states that God closed Hannah’s womb. Though Hannah knew God was in charge and He was the one not giving her a child, she did not stop turning to Him for deliverance from her barrenness.

     We can learn a great lesson from Hannah. There are times in life that God tells us ‘NO’ or He tells us “Not Now!” What do we do when that happens to us? Do we get mad at God and through a ‘God don’t love me’ fit? Do we crawl in a pit because God doesn’t care for us?
     May we all approach God’s plan for our lives like Hannah. May we keep our eyes on Him no matter what direction or what answers God gives us! In reality, who is there to turn too but God?

Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival keep provoking her in order to irate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat!

1 Samuel 1:6