WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH—THEN WHAT?
Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. Because the LORD had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate 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 1:4-8 (NIV)
When a crisis hits, our faith can often be the first thing to suffer. This was not true for Hannah. She had to depend on God while her rival continuously put her shortcomings in her face, provoking her to the point that she couldn't even eat. Hannah's womb was empty, but her spirit was full, and her faith kept her going. Her spirit may have been heavy with disappointment, but instead of pulling away from God, she leaned in.
As my first marriage began to suffer, I pulled away from God. I had been faithful in my walk with God, I was a good wife and mother, so when it all collapsed, my disappointment became so heavy that I pulled away from God for what ended up lasting three years. It was not a great time in my life. Two years later, when spiritual warfare hit much closer to home and involved my own sons, I remembered what God had taught me. I knew running from Him would not help. This time, I chose to run toward Him—to lean on His strength and trust Him to see me through.
Hannah teaches us that difficult seasons do not have to determine the direction of our faith. We can be disappointed and still pray. We can be hurting and still worship. We can have questions and still trust. When the going gets tough, we have a choice: pull away or lean in.
APPLICATION: Think about a difficult situation you may be facing right now. Instead of allowing it to push you away from God, intentionally lean in. Pray, open His Word, worship or reach out to someone who can encourage you in your faith. Remember, God is still present, even when your circumstances are painful.
PRAYER: Dear Father, when life becomes difficult and disappointment weighs heavily on my heart, help me lean into You rather than pull away. Strengthen my faith and remind me that You are with me even when I cannot see the outcome. Help me trust You through every difficult season. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?