Hannah's Heart

 

Hannah’s Heart

Having a dream isn't merely enough without the hand of God to move mountains, open doors and release His blessing.  Hannah was a woman from the Bible who wasn’t afraid of going to God and pleading for His hand to move on her behalf.  She went into the temple and her prayer went something like this: “Oh Lord almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant…”   Hannah was very sorrowful and grievous in her spirit.  To the one sitting by (the priest) and watching, her behavior seemed careless and irreverent.  She was even accused of being drunk!  

She must have looked very peculiar, as scripture says, laying there with her mouth moving but no words coming out.  But as the story continues, we  learn that Hannah wasn’t trying to be irreverent nor had she had anything to drink.  Her actions came from a heart that was desperate for God to meet a great need in her life.  Through the years, I’ve learned that it’s almost always  the desperate ones that are willing to stand out, risk it all and be peculiar in front of man, especially once they’ve figured out that man can’t fix a God-sized problem.

Hannah’s story begins in the first chapter of 1 Samuel.  She’s been married for a while and wants a child but has no success at getting pregnant.  To top it all off, we find out that she shares a husband with another wife, named Peninnah, who has given birth to several children.   Women have asked me, "why did God allow men to spread themselves around with so many women in the Bible and why did God allow those women to be used like property?" My response, “please don’t blame God for man’s ignorance, pride and indulgence!”  Also, remember that many women from “those days” were eager to be a part of or share a household with other wives just so that they could have a home.  So the story continues… Peninnah flaunts herself and her children as she does her best to make Hannah miserable.  Hannah gets trapped into a lifestyle that leads her to a place of overwhelming depression and she becomes fully convinced that she’ll never be “happy” unless she gets what Peninnah and all the other women in the land have.

Hannah wasn’t at all satisfied with the hand that she had been dealt.  She wasn’t content with her circumstance and wanted to be a mother just like her rival, Peninnah.   She cried out to God with weeping and fasting (tears alone won’t move the hand of God).  She poured out her heart completely as she began to make God an  extraordinary promise (she promised God her firstborn)! I’m wondering if you have a place in your life where you’ve claimed contentment and now you’re reconsidering that maybe you just gave up on believing God for something better?  Godliness with contentment is great gain but you have to consider that some women will hide behind this scripture, using it as an excuse not to try or to keep from having to pursue anything too difficult.   Hannah’s life shows that some things are well worth fervent prayer, a solemn vow and a Godly pursuit!  Log in soon and find out more of what we've learned from Hannah’s Heart. 

Loving U Like A Sister,

Regina

Standing on the Promises of God

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.   How simple to repeat and how difficult to follow! Lol!  I mean, how many times have you questioned, “God what exactly are you doing?”  Even though the Word refers to us as "His sheep," I don’t think that many of us, if any of us, make very good ones.  If you could imagine a herd of sheep pestering the shepherd asking, “Where are we going?  What are we doing here?   Why did you bring us this way? ...”  Eventually, wouldn’t the shepherd get fed up?  How annoying would a journey be if all the sheep ever done was complain and hassle the guide for reassurance that they were headed in the right direction and that they were all going to be okay?   In reality, sheep don’t talk back and aggravate shepherds like that.  I’m thinking that we, as the Lord’s sheep, ought not to as well.

I often think of the Israelites on their journey toward the Promised Land and how they seemed to always get snagged with the same old doubt.  All they had to do was remember back to every time that God came through.  Really, just remembering how God led them out of Egypt in the first place should have been enough to keep them in perfect peace.   God proved from the very beginning that He loved them and that He was enough to handle even their toughest enemies.  But there were many times that they forgot about His goodness and about His strength.  They chose to accuse Him and they chose to complain.   They acted as if they had never even met God or received any of His provision and care.  They made a huge mistake not believing that God was faithful to what He had promised.  Instead of standing on the promises of God, many got stuck in doubt and never went any further.

How is your conversation going with God lately and where do you stand?   Did you spend time thanking Him for all His goodness and wonderful work concerning you and your future?  Or was your time with Him more about you asking where, when and how?   The truth is that God’s promises don’t come with an outline nor will He schedule an appointment with you.  If God shared His schedule and timed His promises with us then we would have no need of faith; and without faith it would be impossible to please Him.  Here’s my stand… If God promised it then He will surely bring it to pass.  Not when I want it or when I think that I need it, but in His perfect time.  I shall remain in perfect peace as I keep my mind on Him.  I choose to remember every time that God came through for me and I expect Him to do it again!  How about U?    Loving U like A sister, Regina

Next week, look for my new teaching series, “Hannah’s Heart.”   The teaching text will be from 1 Samuel chapters 1 & 2 (you will be surprised at how much truth and revelation can be derived from these two chapters).  You don’t want to miss a single blog!  Sometimes women feel left out and left behind; but I’ve learned that those who sit on the back burner the longest are usually the ones with the greater destiny.   Learn more about how God wants to give you a future and fulfill your desire.   He has always had a good plan in mind for you.  God’s not deaf and He’s not a liar… He’s listening and He cares.   There’s definitely more in store for you but you’ve got to learn how to live into it.  Log in soon and find out more about it and Him!

Esther - Upon My Honor - Ending

The last segment in this series is “the honor of not having to be first.”  No doubt about it, we live in a “me first” society.   But today, how many of us understand that society’s way of doing things and God’s way of doing things are totally different?  The world says, “Push your way through and look out for number one!”  But God says, “Look out for one another and the first shall be last.”   Being second is the main idea behind Christianity, even though sometimes the concept is easily forgotten.  In the daily routine of living, we can easily turn the focus back onto us.  Many of us need reminding from time to time (myself included) that a “me first” attitude rarely prospers and seldom turns out well.  Esther showed honor by living a life that unmistakably relayed the message, “Me second.”

Because of God and a few honorable people, the book of Esther has a great ending.  Esther saves the Jews!  Well… God saved the Jews, but He used Esther to do so.  It’s very interesting to me that the story doesn’t end with the focus on Esther but on Mordecai’s promotion.  Her risk and sacrifice helped move Mordecai into a new position right next to the king.   Even though she was queen, Mordecai’s advancement placed him ahead of her.  It’s worth mentioning that his new position was considered second as well (only second to the king).  Do you mind being second no matter how much you labor or how much sacrifice you have put into a thing?  In the natural, I believe that it would bother most people to labor for someone else’s promotion and that the whole idea of being second would be disheartening.  But Esther shows us that being second can be very valuable and offers its own reward.

Helping to promote one that you are in a close relationship with, well, that’s just wisdom!  Their success will ultimately mean yours (great message to wives).  And helping to advance or promote people who are godly and filled with godly ideas…  Well, how can that be anything but honorable?   Sadly, many people pass up awesome opportunities to be a part of something successful all because of not being the one who gets to be “number one.”  And the reality is that relationships will die, marriages will fail and families will fall apart where there isn’t at least one person who is okay with being second.   The definition of second: Next after the first; inferior; one who supports another; to follow next in place; to support; to join with in proposing some measure.

In my opinion, Esther is one of the most honorable women in the Bible.  Everything that she was a part of prospered and grew.  None of her relationships were divided, broken or dead.   She showed worth and value to everyone (not only to those who were considered to be great).  She was in “it” for more than just herself.   Her trust was in God and not in her own ability.  She showed discretion and cautiously waited for God’s timing.  And she seemed pleased and content to help promote others.   She made “being second” look good and helped us see that “second” is very important to God.   The first mention of Esther was her being brought into the kingdom with many other beautiful women.  But she had much more to offer than just her outward appearance.   Even though she was young, she had somehow learned a very valuable wisdom along her journey.  She exemplified a profound wisdom that every woman, no matter where she’s from, needs to know… Beauty may very well move a man or even a king… But HONOR will move the hand of God.    “Upon my Honor” reveals that she knew which one was the greater.

Loving U Like a Sister,

Regina

Esther - Upon My Honor (Part 4)

When it comes to discretion…    It’s not that I have been  "perfected" but I press on toward the mark of a higher calling.   And though we see Esther showing discretion at an early age, for most women, learning to be discreet will take some time.  I mean, how many of us at the first approach would have blurted out, “oh King live forever Haman is evil” in the same breath.   But instead, she invited King Ahasuerus to come and dine with her as she waited for a more appropriate time to seek his help.   Note that she didn’t tell him about her problem the second time that they were together either.  She did eventually get around to telling him about Haman and the wicked plan to have her people annihilated… But she showed great restraint as she waited…  I know that it wasn’t so much to her credit as it was to God, but the same could be said of you and me today.

Because of what Paul wrote to Titus in the New Testament, I know that being discreet doesn’t have to be something that we are born with, but can be something that is taught.  And I have learned that what seems to be lacking in one’s nature or intellect can be recovered by the Spirit of God.   Some natures have "this" and some bloodlines have "that" but God’s Spirit has everything.  God doesn’t consider it a lack of honor when someone seems to be missing a very “appropriate” trait but He does consider it most honorable when we acknowledge it and seek Him for help.   Esther’s prudence is definitely something to be admired but know that everyone can be helped to discern and taught to answer cautiously by learning to lean on God.

As a child, I wasn’t taught much, if anything, about discretion nor did I seem to inherit any.  I remember when I first noticed the trait in a girl from my sixth grade class. She and I were both chosen to represent our school for a Social Studies fair.  We decided that she should be the spokesperson for our project.  She knew exactly what to say and exactly what not to say to the judges and then later, as she explained the results to our sixth grade teacher (cautiously leaving some details OUT).  As I watched her, I knew that she had something that I lacked, and even as a child, I knew that it was something that I needed.

No matter where you sit, it’s very easy to get aggravated with people who seem to be ignorant or lack discretion.  I have sat in both places… getting on other’s nerves and other’s getting on mine!    I can tell you though, "God will never require us to put anything on the altar or bring anything forward that we don’t have."  He doesn’t judge us as harshly as some would have you think.  Man will require much more from our performance than God will.   He knows what we have in us and He knows what we lack.  He calls us “His” anyway.   He knows that His Spirit can make up all the difference.    So it’s not so much a woman’s discretion that is honorable… But it’s in her desire to learn to be discreet and in her humility to seek God for what she lacks.

Loving U like A Sister,

Regina

Esther - Upon My Honor (Part 3)

Another great example of Esther’s ability to show honor is:  she never showed any signs of self-sufficiency.   Esther put her trust in God and not in her own abilities.   Esther didn’t seem to struggle nor wrestle with the idea that she was enough to make things happen on her own.  When the pressure was on she sought the help of God through prayer and fasting.   When she was challenged by Mordecai to break royal protocol and to go before the king uninvited, she never relied on anything other than the hand of God.  Esther obviously knew that the king liked her but she also knew that a lot was riding on such a great risk so she chose not to depend upon anything in the natural.  In other words, she knew that she needed the help of a higher power that exceeded her beauty and natural charm. 

One of the first things that God will do in a Christian’s life is to deliver us from the idea that we are enough on our own.    Many people are programmed at a young age that they can make anything happen if they have enough self-confidence and a strong enough will (self-confidence is not to be confused with self-esteem).  The Bible teaches us that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.  Thinking that we can do it in our own strength is not only naïve but it is also dishonorable toward God.  No matter how good it makes you look or how safe it makes you feel, God will never allow things in your life that replace Him.   He wants to be the security in every part of your life.  Therefore, each and every one of us will have to go through seasons of giving up those things that stand between us and Him.  Our help comes from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth; to look elsewhere or to trust in any other would be futile.   

For such a young woman, Esther showed that she had an outstanding concept of how to show honor.  She honored people without showing partiality.   She honored and valued all human life.  She knew how to honor rank, leaders, and positions.  And today we see that she knew how to show honor to God.   Esther proved that her trust was in God and not in anything that she thought she was or in anything that she thought she could do.  She never showed any signs of being self-confident.   Remember Esther the next time you feel bad about lacking confidence.    Remember her example and how it’s always more honorable to be God-confident!    He’s the one who can make things happen.  Next week-the honor of being discreet...

Loving U Like a Sister,

Regina

Upon My Honor - Esther (Part 2)

Besides treating others significantly, another attribute of honor is:  Being in “it” to help others, not just to look good or feel good about yourself.   Selfish ambition will give up quickly and will not keep you for the long haul in anything.   When our desire is to really help others, we are less likely to become discouraged over the process of time.  Having a real burden for people will keep you through the difficult times but any motivation that is based on vain desire will not be enough to keep you from quitting right in the middle of something.  Esther proved that she was in "it" for more than just her comfort, status or safety.  She was made completely aware that her freedom came with a great price and that helping the others could possibly be the reason that she had been given such an awesome opportunity.

Even though His name is never mentioned, God’s power and plan is evident throughout the entire book of Esther.  We not only see that He had a plan but we also see His foreknowledge of everyone that He would use.  God knows perfectly who to choose for what.  He knew that Esther would be obedient to His call, surrendered to His plan, and overwhelmed by the burden for the loss of her people.  He knew that she would want to help and that her passion to save them would be strong enough to move her into taking great risks; and, of course, He knew that He couldn’t and wouldn’t even come close to failing her or letting her down.  He sovereignly orchestrated the events of Esther's life; letting her be brought into the kingdom, giving her the position and crown and eventually using her to save many people.  

Esther won the hearts of everyone around her because she had already won the heart of God.  And no one, not even a King, can withstand a woman who has the hand of God all over her.   Has anyone ever just liked you or just randomly offered to help you as you walked away wondering why?   Well, now you know that it was probably the hand of God.  I have learned that If God likes you then He will cause the right people to like you too.   He knows how to direct our steps and how to send certain people along the way to offer us their assistance.  Seems like everybody liked Esther and that everybody wanted to help her.   But it wasn’t anything to do with anything other than God.   Do you know what I mean?  It was God’s foresight, plan and agenda.   Esther was chosen as part of that plan because God knew that He could trust her.  She was given a place of honor because she showed honor. God already knew that she wasn’t the kind of girl who would be in “it” just for herself...   He knew that she would be in “it” to help others.

Loving U Like a Sister,

Regina

Upon My Honor - Esther

Last week, we studied the one who showed no honor (Vashti) and we learned what not to do.   This week let’s study the one who showed great honor and learn more about what we should do.  Showing someone honor is to treat them as “significant.”  Esther treated everyone around her as if they were greatly significant.   One thing that will distinguish “honorable women” from others is that they tend to treat people the same, no matter who those people seem to be or not be.  Honorable people aren’t consumed with the idea of recognition or advancement and regularly practice “not showing partiality toward selective people.”  It’s not that they don’t want to move up or become more successful… they understand that God is the one who is in charge of promotion and He would never give anyone a greater opportunity to become a better snob!  Lol!  Do you know what I mean?  There’s nothing honorable about sucking up to the people you think to be “somebody” all the while ignoring those you consider to be of less importance.   

Even though he may not have appeared so at first, one of the most important people in Esther’s life was Hegai (the eunuch) who was placed in charge of her care.  She won his favor instantly by treating him with respect and honor.  Her honor is seen in her obedience to his instruction (don’t bother trying to fake honor with the right smile and speech if you are not going to respect and follow instruction).   Esther treated him like he was somebody worth listening to and she proved it by doing what he said.   Imagine how her relationship with him would have failed had she treated him as if he was just one of the king’s mere servants.   Hegai was the one who helped her win the king’s favor (Hegai had experience and a longer relationship with the king so he could direct her in what the king liked).  Something worth remembering today:  Many times it’s our regard for “mere servants” that help us win the favor of God; and with God’s favor comes reward, which generally includes a better position.

True honor can only come from a place of understanding humility, gratitude and our own self-worth.  Women who are unthankful about their own life have a difficult time showing honor because they always feel left out or that there’s “nothing in it” for them … Women who have low self-esteem will be confused thinking that showing honor is somehow an admittance that they are of lesser value…  And of course, women who are prideful will never feel the need to further empower any leader’s assumption that they are esteemed higher or outrank them. Lol!     Esther showed humility by allowing others to instruct and help her.  She showed that she found value in all people (even servants).  She respected the positions and opinions of others.  She proved that she knew how to show honor.  What a girl!  Log in next week and find out how her honor won the king and ultimately the crown!

Loving U Like a Sister,

Regina