1 Sam. 1:6-7 - "Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat." NASU
It was the Lord who had closed Hannah's womb. She is in this situation because this is where the Lord wants her. I am not saying God wanted Peninnah to provoke her most likely by mocking her, but the fact remains she is childless because of God. You will notice in the Old Testament when God was at work delaying a pregnancy or being involved in some way the child born was always a special child. Isaac birth comes when Sarah is 90 years old, John the Baptist birth was when his mother and father were both old and here we are seeing the early days before the birth of Samuel who will become a famous Judge over all Israel. God had Hannah there for a reason. The mistreatment she endured led her to make a vow to God if He would give her a son she would dedicate him to the Lord. Samuel was going to be dedicated as a child and would become a part of the Nazarite vow. Would she have made this vow about Samuel had she not been provoked? Samuel was special as can be seen by the life he lived.
I would like for you to pray, "Lord, I don't like my present situation, but what I really want is to do Your will. Show me how You are going to use me in this situation to bring Glory to Your Name."
Think On These: The Lord calls for us to stand, but not always understand. When God allows a burden to be put upon you, He will put His arms underneath you to help you carry it. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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Ecclesiastes 8:14 - There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. NIV
Solomon has been known as the wisest man that has ever lived and he penned down the words above for us. Righteous men get what the wicked deserve and wicked men get what the righteous deserve. This proves that you don't always reap what you sow. If this world were perfect then we would reap what we sow. The world, however, isn't perfect and therefore we will not always reap what we sow. I remember teaching my children when they were young, Life Lesson 101: Life Isn't Fair and don't expect it to be fair or you will be rudely awakened one day.
A man who never sinned and yet, He was crucified because of evil men. Here is what Peter had to say about Jesus years after His death: "…since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed." 1 Peter 2:21-24 Jesus left us an example to follow according to Peter. We will have no deceit in our mouths, we will not revile against those who revile against us and while we are suffering we will not use our mouths to spew out threats or vulgarities. What we will be doing is entrusting ourselves into the hands of God, the righteous judge. The next time we suffer at the hands of unjust men and women we will be in control of our body, mind, and spirit. We will not use our mouths to spew out profanities, slander or condemnations. We will look to the One who judges righteously.
Genesis 50:20 - "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result,…" Sometimes in life, we have to endure the evil done to us by wicked people. In Joseph's situation, it was his own brothers. So in life, if your enemies, co-workers or family members inflict some of life's injustices upon you, look to the One who judges righteously. Think On This: When God allows a burden to be placed upon you, He will put His arms under you to help you carry it. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Num. 14:6-10 - Joshua... and Caleb…, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation… “If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. “Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.
The other ten spies were very negative and critical of accomplishing this feat and they made it known to all who would listen to them. You will see the 10 negative spies were able to persuade the Israelites to stone Joshua and Caleb. When they were about to stone them the glory of the Lord appeared and the attempted stoning stopped. Leadership 101 teaches some very specific lessons.
We were on 2 acres of property and the extra land would allow us to grow. There were 60 people in attendance for the congregational meeting that night. This was my first real taste of seeing Christians act like the children of Israel. There was one couple in particular who made numerous accusations about me and my character. I had never heard Christians speak like this before. This was the first time in my ministry I was compared to the infamous Jim Jones. After this man was through his wife stood up and reiterated everything her husband had said. This meeting lasted less than an hour but it felt like a week. When no one else had any questions or comments we took a vote and it was 58-2 in favor of purchasing the land. I believe with all my heart God used those two negative and critical people to His glory. I had a family of four adults approach me after the vote. They informed me that when they walked into the meeting they didn't know how they were going to vote, but after listening to the husband and wife they knew they were not going to align with them. I always believed there were probably others who walked in that night thinking the same way. Once they heard negative Nathan and Nellie they went the opposite direction.
We did grow. Every critical statement that was made about me that night was proven to be incorrect. In fact, I was able to use the negative criticism as a form of motivation. If I may encourage you today let me say this, "When you're criticized don't quit trying to accomplish your goal. Allow the criticism to motivate you to say, "Okay! We will see who is correct, you or me." The Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years because of their unbelief. After 40 years they enter into the Promised Land just like Joshua and Caleb said they could 40 years earlier. We hear the names Joshua and Caleb mentioned often in our world today, but we never hear the men who were negative mentioned.
Always remember criticism comes with the territory when you are a leader. Leaders will be criticized and leaders will be motivated by criticism. Think on These:
Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Gen. 32:24-28 - So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." NIV There are so many characteristics that can be identified with Jacob the wrestler. I will share with you a few in today's Pump Up. You may want to read this passage of scripture over numerous times and identify more characteristics and then teach them to others.
There won't be any of your teammates coming to your rescue, nor would you want them to interfere. This is between you and your opponent. Jacob wrestled through the night until daybreak, alone.
Who is this man that Jacob is wrestling? I have my thoughts about Him and will allow you to have yours, but I can tell you this much He was powerful enough to dislocate Jacob's hip with a touch. In the 1972 Olympics, Dan Gable, was head butted. His trainer wrapped his head to temporarily stop the bleeding. He continues to wrestle, wins the match and then received seven stitches to close the gash. In the 1999 Freestyle Wrestling Championships, Cary Kolat, dislocated his shoulder during one of his early matches. He continued to wrestle and won the match. There are hundreds of wrestling stories like these. When you get hurt you keep on going.
Jacob was wrestling with God. Notice what the verse says, Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God…" He was struggling or wrestling with God.
The apostle Paul informs Christians that we likewise are wrestlers and he even names our enemies that we will be wrestling against in this life. These are vital lessons we can learn from wrestlers: Some times we may have to go it alone. Some times we may have to keep going even when hurt. Some times we may have to wrestle with God or His enemies. One passage of scripture we never want to forget is 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 - "…but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." NASU Think On These: When God measures a man, He puts the tape around his heart not his head. Who is more foolish: a child who is afraid of the dark or a man who is afraid of the light? Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Mark 7:25-29 - But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was a Gentile… And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs." And He said to her, "Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter." NASU
Would you persistently ask Jesus to cast the demon from your child? Notice what the text says, "And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter." WOW! How hard is it for a parent to admit their child has a demon? Yet, this mother humbles herself and admits her daughter has a demon, admits she needs help for herself and for her daughter. She owns her situation. She doesn't try to blame anyone else for her situation.
When you read the parallel story in Matthew 15 the disciples tell Jesus to "send her away." That seems to be the disciples answer to every problem. If you remember right before the feeding of the 5,000 they gave Jesus this same answer. This Gentile mother was not going to give up finding a cure for her daughter. Jesus even tells her, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matt.15:24). This answer from Jesus doesn't deter her. She continues to beg. Jesus then says something to her that puzzles me even to this very day, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." What? Did Jesus just say that? Did He compare this lady to dogs? Yes, He did. WOW! I am blown away. But wait a minute look at what the Gentile mother says, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their master' table." She says; if you want to compare me to a dog go ahead. I will take that and more. But will you please help my daughter? There you have it my friends an example from a Gentile mother. She humbles herself and never gives up when it comes to helping her child.
If you want to help your children you must keep the faith. As you read this Pump Up today it has been 5 years since my mom went to be with the Lord. One of the greatest lessons she taught her children was to "keep your faith" especially during the trying times. Love and miss you mom. Thanks for teaching us to "keep the faith." Think On These: When you become wrinkled with care and worry, it's time to have your faith lifted. Faith is the hinge that holds the believer to a personal relationship with God. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Share this Pump Up with others by Sharing on Your Facebook Page, Twitter or Forwarding to a friend. |
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