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“Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.” (Galatians 4:1-2 NKJV)
Elkanah had two wives; the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other was Peninnah. Elkanah greatly loved Hannah; however, she had no child. But Peninnah had children.
Peninnah constantly provoked Hannah severely, which irritated her and made her miserable. Consequently, Hannah became a woman of a sorrowful spirit, full of complaint and grief (1 Sam. 1:15-16).
Hannah remained a miserable and sorrowful woman for many years, praying and complaining, but God would not open her womb so that she might have children.
It was not that God was wicked or insensitive to Hannah’s plight, but God was waiting for Hannah to be mature enough to receive the unique child God wanted to give her.
Until God saw that Hannah had grown up and developed a godly character, God did not release Samuel. If Hannah was reacting negatively to Peninnah’s provocation, taunt, and mockery, she was not yet mature in God’s sight to receive or handle her blessing.
God would not open Hannah’s womb until she stopped being a miserable and sorrowful woman. But when Hannah resolved to rejoice in the LORD regardless of Peninnah’s provocation, the LORD remembered her and opened her womb.
1 Samuel 1:17-20 – NKJV
17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”
18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.
20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”
Moreover, God had to wait patiently for Hannah to grow up when she was willing to let go of her hand the blessing she had been desperately seeking.
Hannah desperately sought a child while God diligently sought a new priest and prophet who would replace Eli before Him.
God had foreordained Samuel to be a substitute for Eli and to be born through Hannah. However, God would not open Hannah’s womb to conceive Samuel until God was confident that Hannah would release Samuel for His purpose, service, and glory.
As long as Hannah wanted Samuel only for herself, she was too immature to have Samuel. But when Hannah grew up to a state of maturity where she wanted Samuel only for God’s purpose, pleasure, service, and glory, her womb opened, and she had the child she had prayed for and waited many years to have.
What a great lesson for us today?
Your spiritual maturity is one of the significant factors determining when God will manifest His power and glory in your life and situation.
Above anything else, God desires to see you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. God wants you to develop a godly character.
The Scripture reveals that God’s ultimate desire and purpose for His children is to grow up into Christ in all things, entirely conformed to the image of His First Beloved Son, Christ Jesus.
Paul aptly states this truth in his epistles.
Ephesians 4:11-13 – NKJV
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Romans 8:28-29 – NKJV
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
As in the case of Hannah, God will patiently wait for you to know, recognize, and understand His purpose and grow up or mature to give back to Him freely, promptly, and cheerfully whatever He has given you to accomplish His purpose.
You are not yet grown to manage God’s resources until you mature enough to use what God gives you for His purpose, not just for your selfish pleasure, satisfaction, and ambition.
God sometimes holds back what you passionately seek because He loves you and knows you are not yet mature enough to handle it without negatively affecting your relationship with others.
Beloved, the truth is that there are many things you are desperate to have now that you are not yet mature enough to handle. Although you may not be happy with it, God will not let you have them now out of His love for you.
God is much more interested in developing your character than making you happy!
Like Hannah, are you bitter, sorrowful, miserable, or envious of other people’s blessings?
You need to deal with that!
You need to learn how to rejoice and stay calm even in provocation!
Hannah never got the child she passionately wanted until she changed her attitude, response, or reaction to Peninnah’s provocation.
Are you still greedy, stingy, and selfish?
You must seek to overcome your greediness, stinginess, and selfishness!
Whatever you cannot cheerfully and promptly release for God’s pleasure, plan, or purpose whenever God demands, it is what you are not yet mature enough to handle or manage for God.
Therefore, above anything else you seek, give much attention to your spiritual growth and godly character development. You will be amazed at what God will commit or entrust into your hands.
Friend, the more you mature or grow up in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, the more you will know, understand, appropriate, experience, and enjoy your inheritance, rights, and privileges in and through Christ Jesus.
Prayer:
Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me daily to grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and be increasingly transformed into His image and likeness in every sphere of my life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Our mandate Is to Preserve the Faith of the Apostolic Generation.
Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.
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