But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
Ruth 1:20-21
I know what it is like to feel empty; like you have lost everything and there is nothing left to give. Some of you may know that feeling as well. It's the feeling you have when you have done your best, and it's not good enough for others, or the feeling you have when your heart is broken. Some of you have felt it when things seem to be going so well and then something comes along suddenly to rock your world. This is what Ruth felt in the opening chapter of the book named for her. She left her home during a time of famine with her husband and two sons. They went to a place called Moab because they heard that there was food there. However, within years of their arrival there her husband and both of her sons died. She is left with two daughters-in-law, and one of them leaves as well. Ruth feels empty. She thinks she has nothing left, but she is wrong. What she poured into Naomi was priceless.
You may not have lost a husband or sons, but life has a way of making you feel empty at times. We may have lost positions or jobs. Some of us have lost faith or trust. Others have lost friendships or relationships, and these things have caused us to feel empty. For some, the day to day affairs of life can cause us to feel empty. Our calendars and planners show that our lives are full, but we have lost passion and zeal. Can I tell you that whatever we have lost God has placed purpose and destiny inside of us, and that makes us the total opposite of empty? We are full! Like Ruth we can feel empty, but that doesn't mean we are empty.
That is what I want to remind you of today, Dear Wife. You are full! God, Himself, has placed His Holy Spirit on the inside of you, and He wants you to "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). We need to grasp this so that when we are confronted with the temptation to feel empty we can fight against it with truth. Yes, your calendars are full. Your days are full. There is a lot to do, but you are full of God and have everything you need to live this life.
You just need to remember that God is the One who fills us. This requires that we spend time in His presence and in His word allowing Him to do that. Our husbands can not fill us. Our jobs can not fill us. Our friends can not fill us. Actually, these relationships can sometimes leave us feeling empty, but we have the privilege of turning to Almighty God and allowing Him to restore our souls!
Let God fill you this week! Tell Him all of the places that you feel empty. Present them to Him and ask Him to fill them. Read His word concerning those areas. Spend time in worship, and trust that God will fill you! You have a full life, but I declare that you are a full wife!
Monday, February 26, 2018
Monday, February 19, 2018
Monday's Marriage Moment - Are You Unstable?
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 1: 6 - 8
I am not the same woman John married almost 19 years ago. I don't think the same way. I don't feel the same way. I don't look at things the same way. It's okay, though, because he is not the same man I married either. We both have grown and changed. We don't get upset about the same things that might have caused us to be mad for days years ago. We have learned more. We appreciate each other more. No, we are not the same people we used to be, and that is a good thing.
Change is good, and it is really good when two people are growing together. Change can keep things fresh and exciting, but change can also cause stress and confusion. Change becomes a problem when it becomes instability. Instability is defined as "the tendency to behave in an unpredictable, changeable, or erratic manner". For example, when your spouse leaves for work you are happy and excited, but when he comes home for lunch you are angry and mean. That is instability. If you fly off the handle at the slightest thing - that's an example of instability. If one moment you love him and have pictures of the two of you all over social media and the next you are screaming for a divorce - that's instability...and it is not ok.
Men and women don't often look for the same things in a relationship, but one thing we all want is stability. We want to know that we are secure and safe, and the one place that needs to be certain is in our marriage. Our spouse needs to know that even on our worst day, we are consistent in our love and care for them. It doesn't mean we never get upset or have a bad day, but it does mean that we are so consistent that a bad day doesn't ruin our marriage.
Our society praises flexibility and change. Celebrities make and break marriages at the speed of light. The sanctity of marriage is under attack. Our marriages need to be rock solid. They need to be grounded in the word of God. That means we need to be rooted and grounded. We can't be like the one James describes in the scripture above - tossed by the wind. We can't be "till death do us part" today, and "I'm filing for a divorce" tomorrow. We need stability. God is stable. He is consistent. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We need to adapt those qualities when it comes to our faith and our relationships. Determine this week to be consistent and stable. Choose one area of your life that needs more consistency and take a step to make it happen. You don't have to be unstable!
James 1: 6 - 8
I am not the same woman John married almost 19 years ago. I don't think the same way. I don't feel the same way. I don't look at things the same way. It's okay, though, because he is not the same man I married either. We both have grown and changed. We don't get upset about the same things that might have caused us to be mad for days years ago. We have learned more. We appreciate each other more. No, we are not the same people we used to be, and that is a good thing.
Change is good, and it is really good when two people are growing together. Change can keep things fresh and exciting, but change can also cause stress and confusion. Change becomes a problem when it becomes instability. Instability is defined as "the tendency to behave in an unpredictable, changeable, or erratic manner". For example, when your spouse leaves for work you are happy and excited, but when he comes home for lunch you are angry and mean. That is instability. If you fly off the handle at the slightest thing - that's an example of instability. If one moment you love him and have pictures of the two of you all over social media and the next you are screaming for a divorce - that's instability...and it is not ok.
Men and women don't often look for the same things in a relationship, but one thing we all want is stability. We want to know that we are secure and safe, and the one place that needs to be certain is in our marriage. Our spouse needs to know that even on our worst day, we are consistent in our love and care for them. It doesn't mean we never get upset or have a bad day, but it does mean that we are so consistent that a bad day doesn't ruin our marriage.
Our society praises flexibility and change. Celebrities make and break marriages at the speed of light. The sanctity of marriage is under attack. Our marriages need to be rock solid. They need to be grounded in the word of God. That means we need to be rooted and grounded. We can't be like the one James describes in the scripture above - tossed by the wind. We can't be "till death do us part" today, and "I'm filing for a divorce" tomorrow. We need stability. God is stable. He is consistent. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We need to adapt those qualities when it comes to our faith and our relationships. Determine this week to be consistent and stable. Choose one area of your life that needs more consistency and take a step to make it happen. You don't have to be unstable!
Monday, February 12, 2018
Monday's Marriage Moment -- What Do You Bring to the Table?
And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
Genesis 2:18 - 20
Dear Wife, you have value! Can I just remind you of that? I know. You have been through a lot. You have been hurt and offended. I know you have had to live through things that would have scarred others for life, but none of that defines you. You have value. You bring something to the table. You have amazing worth, and God knew that you were just what your husband needed.
In the account of creation, we find that God created the heavens, the earth, creeping and crawling things, animals and the like, and after each creation He said, "it is good". Yet, after He created man He said "it is not good that man should be alone". God knew that man needed someone comparable to him to accomplish all that God has set forth for him to do. He needed you. That doesn't make you an accent or accessory. It makes you needed and valuable. See, you are a gift. The bible says that after He created woman from man God presented her to Adam (verse 22). He gave Eve to Adam as a gift - something that would add value and worth to His life. That's what gifts do, right?
You were designed to add value to your husband's life. That means you must have value. You bring something to the table, sweetheart! The question is what do you bring to the table? Do you bring joy and kindness to the table? Do you bring love and mercy to the table? Do you bring wisdom and strength to the table? What are you adding to the marriage that God has given you?
The anointing that God has given you is not just for church services! He wants to use your prophetic gift to grace your home! He wants to use your ability to lay hands on the sick to bring healing to your house! He wants to use the eloquence of your preaching to minister grace to your family!! Don't you dare just reserve those gifts for church services! You have the amazing ability to bring peace to confusion, orchestrate and manage the affairs of the home, ensure that schedules are in sync, and so much more! One word from a wife can create calm or chaos. You have the ability to influence your husband for good or for evil! What are you doing with that influence? Eve was designed to be a blessing, but she let her curiosity and the craftiness of the enemy to cause her to bring a curse. That can not be our story! Choose today to add value to your marriage. Refuse to be the nagging, critical wife that the world may expect. Choose instead to love your husband and be the gift that God ordained you to be!
Proverbs 12:4 says that an excellent wife is a crown! Crowns are full of jewels and precious metals that signify their worth! Be a crown and add value!
Blessings!
Genesis 2:18 - 20
Dear Wife, you have value! Can I just remind you of that? I know. You have been through a lot. You have been hurt and offended. I know you have had to live through things that would have scarred others for life, but none of that defines you. You have value. You bring something to the table. You have amazing worth, and God knew that you were just what your husband needed.
In the account of creation, we find that God created the heavens, the earth, creeping and crawling things, animals and the like, and after each creation He said, "it is good". Yet, after He created man He said "it is not good that man should be alone". God knew that man needed someone comparable to him to accomplish all that God has set forth for him to do. He needed you. That doesn't make you an accent or accessory. It makes you needed and valuable. See, you are a gift. The bible says that after He created woman from man God presented her to Adam (verse 22). He gave Eve to Adam as a gift - something that would add value and worth to His life. That's what gifts do, right?
You were designed to add value to your husband's life. That means you must have value. You bring something to the table, sweetheart! The question is what do you bring to the table? Do you bring joy and kindness to the table? Do you bring love and mercy to the table? Do you bring wisdom and strength to the table? What are you adding to the marriage that God has given you?
The anointing that God has given you is not just for church services! He wants to use your prophetic gift to grace your home! He wants to use your ability to lay hands on the sick to bring healing to your house! He wants to use the eloquence of your preaching to minister grace to your family!! Don't you dare just reserve those gifts for church services! You have the amazing ability to bring peace to confusion, orchestrate and manage the affairs of the home, ensure that schedules are in sync, and so much more! One word from a wife can create calm or chaos. You have the ability to influence your husband for good or for evil! What are you doing with that influence? Eve was designed to be a blessing, but she let her curiosity and the craftiness of the enemy to cause her to bring a curse. That can not be our story! Choose today to add value to your marriage. Refuse to be the nagging, critical wife that the world may expect. Choose instead to love your husband and be the gift that God ordained you to be!
Proverbs 12:4 says that an excellent wife is a crown! Crowns are full of jewels and precious metals that signify their worth! Be a crown and add value!
Blessings!
Monday, February 5, 2018
Monday's Marriage Moment -- Are You Just Making Noise?
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
"Charity begins at home" is a phrase that many of us have heard over the years. Though it is not found in the bible explicitly, I think the principle is found throughout scripture. The word for charity in the bible is translated love, and God talks about loving our spouse, loving our children, and taking care of home from Genesis to Revelation. I think we can all agree that love is foundational, and it certainly needs to be shown to those whom we live with on a daily basis.
Sadly, I think we have missed the mark in this area. We focus on gifts. We focus on talents. We focus on appearances. We focus on social interactions. We focus on what happens outside of the home instead of building a sure foundation at home. We focus on so much, but we are missing out on the main thing - love. We have to get back to loving like Christ loves us! He wants marriage to be an example of His love, and it is up to us to live up to this challenge. Look at a few examples of His love toward those that we might have cut off, condemned, and crucified:
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
"Charity begins at home" is a phrase that many of us have heard over the years. Though it is not found in the bible explicitly, I think the principle is found throughout scripture. The word for charity in the bible is translated love, and God talks about loving our spouse, loving our children, and taking care of home from Genesis to Revelation. I think we can all agree that love is foundational, and it certainly needs to be shown to those whom we live with on a daily basis.
Sadly, I think we have missed the mark in this area. We focus on gifts. We focus on talents. We focus on appearances. We focus on social interactions. We focus on what happens outside of the home instead of building a sure foundation at home. We focus on so much, but we are missing out on the main thing - love. We have to get back to loving like Christ loves us! He wants marriage to be an example of His love, and it is up to us to live up to this challenge. Look at a few examples of His love toward those that we might have cut off, condemned, and crucified:
- He didn't condemn the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11)
- He restored Peter after he denied him (John 21:15-17)
- He took time to minister to the woman who had five husbands and was with another man (John 4:1-25)
- He set free the demoniac (man possessed with demons) and sent him to preach about how he had been set free (Mark 5: 1- 20)
- He healed the woman that was ostricized from society and had been bleeding for 12 years (Luke 8:43-48)
So, if He can love an adulterer, a fornicator, an outcast, one who betrayed Him, one who was an outcast, and even those who mocked Him and crucified Him why can't we love those who have done much less? Why can't we forgive when He forgave the ones who chanted for Him to be crucified instead of Barabbas? Why are we struggling to love the one we stood at an altar and declared our love for?
Secure your love walk, Beloved! Make the foundation of your home love. So, if your husband offends you this week remember the love of Christ. If your wife says something that upsets you remember the love of Christ. Remember that you are called to love like He loves. His love overlooks faults. His love is not dependent upon reciprocation. His love is not based on emotion. He made a decision to love us all even with our faults and inusfficiencies. Love like Jesus! Otherwise, we are just making noise and accomplishing nothing. Love!
Monday, January 29, 2018
Monday's Marriage Moment -- Go On a Date For Goodness' Sake!
Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be enraptured with her love.
-Proverbs 5:18-19
I don't have a deep and soul-stirring message for you today, but I do have a practical one. Go on a date with your spouse! I am sure that your life is full just like mine: full-time work, parental responsibilities, familial obligations, bible study, appointments, errands, and more! It is easy to become so engrossed in these things that we forget that we married the person that we liked. Notice that I didn't say loved. Of course, we love our spouses (at least, I hope we do), but have we forgotten that we like them. Do you remember how you felt when you were dating? Do you remember the butterflies when you saw their number appear on your phone? Do you remember how you felt when you saw them from across the room? Do you remember the excitement of going out on a date with them?
I think one of the greatest weapons the enemy has unleashed against us in busyness. We are too busy for relationships because we are doing so many other things. We have stopped holding hands with our spouse. We have stopped giving hello and goodbye kisses.We have stopped flirting with each other - you know winking at each other, blowing kisses, and playfully smacking each other on the butt (yes, the Elder said that - we are married, ok?). The love hasn't gone, but the "like" has run away!
The enemy has deceived us into thinking that spirituality begins and ends at church. We have somehow forgotten that God is concerned about our marriages. He must be because there are so many verses in the bible about our interactions with our spouses. We pray, prophecy, speak in tongues, and cast out devils (all good things), yet we forget to put energy into showing love to our spouses. We have made church/church activities "the other woman" or "the other man" that our spouses have to compete with for our attention. I don't think God is pleased with that.
I challenge you this week to go on a date with your spouse. Yes, you may have a full week, but cross something off your list if necessary to sit across from your spouse and look into their eyes. Take some time to hold their hands. Take some time to cuddle and talk about your future. Reserve a room and get away if possible, but please do something! I guarantee that it will increase your oneness and intimacy with your spouse, and after all, we need the power of agreement in our homes. Schedule a date night!!!
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be enraptured with her love.
-Proverbs 5:18-19
I don't have a deep and soul-stirring message for you today, but I do have a practical one. Go on a date with your spouse! I am sure that your life is full just like mine: full-time work, parental responsibilities, familial obligations, bible study, appointments, errands, and more! It is easy to become so engrossed in these things that we forget that we married the person that we liked. Notice that I didn't say loved. Of course, we love our spouses (at least, I hope we do), but have we forgotten that we like them. Do you remember how you felt when you were dating? Do you remember the butterflies when you saw their number appear on your phone? Do you remember how you felt when you saw them from across the room? Do you remember the excitement of going out on a date with them?
I think one of the greatest weapons the enemy has unleashed against us in busyness. We are too busy for relationships because we are doing so many other things. We have stopped holding hands with our spouse. We have stopped giving hello and goodbye kisses.We have stopped flirting with each other - you know winking at each other, blowing kisses, and playfully smacking each other on the butt (yes, the Elder said that - we are married, ok?). The love hasn't gone, but the "like" has run away!
The enemy has deceived us into thinking that spirituality begins and ends at church. We have somehow forgotten that God is concerned about our marriages. He must be because there are so many verses in the bible about our interactions with our spouses. We pray, prophecy, speak in tongues, and cast out devils (all good things), yet we forget to put energy into showing love to our spouses. We have made church/church activities "the other woman" or "the other man" that our spouses have to compete with for our attention. I don't think God is pleased with that.
I challenge you this week to go on a date with your spouse. Yes, you may have a full week, but cross something off your list if necessary to sit across from your spouse and look into their eyes. Take some time to hold their hands. Take some time to cuddle and talk about your future. Reserve a room and get away if possible, but please do something! I guarantee that it will increase your oneness and intimacy with your spouse, and after all, we need the power of agreement in our homes. Schedule a date night!!!
Monday, January 22, 2018
Monday's Marriage Moment -- Don't Take the Long Route!
There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.
-Deuteronomy 1:2
It should have been a short trip. It was only supposed to take 11 days. Instead it took 40 years. Forty years to attain the promise that God had given them; forty years of circles and cycles. It is tempting to review the account of the children of Israel's exodus from Egypt to their entrance into
Canaan and shake our heads. We think "poor them". How could it take them so long? What were they thinking? They could have entered a lot sooner.
Yet, if we look at our own lives we will see that there have been times that we have circled the same mountain a few times as well. I can certainly see circular tracks around the mountain of my marriage. Times where I repeated the same behaviors and expected different results (insanity...I know). There were times that I acted just like the children of Israel. I complained. I questioned why. I had my doubts. Yes, just like the children of Israel, my patterns led to something that could have been remedied quickly taking years of my life. Years! It took years! It has only been in the last few years that I have accessed some of the promises God made about my marriages at the beginning. John and I have been married for almost 19 years. I circled for at least 10 - actually more like 15, but I digress.
This is why I am so passionate about marriage and the ministry God has given me. I don't want other wives, other marriages, to take the long route. I want the trip between God showing you the promise and you receiving the promise to be short, and if my story can help you than I am more than grateful. As passionate as I am, I realize that my wanting you to take a short cut doesn't mean that you will take one. You, dear wife/husband, have to decide that you will take the direct route of obedience to God. That you will break cycles and patterns that are delaying your arrival to your promised land. Aren't you tired of arguing about the same things? Aren't you tired of fighting the same battles?Aren't you tired of circling the same mountain?
I declare to you that this is the year that we break cycles and stop going in circles! This is the year that we fully align with God and destroy bondages and chains that have bound us. This is the year that we attain a new level in our marriage and our life. Our unions have purpose, and we must agree with God to break those cycles that threaten that purpose. How do we break the cycles? I am glad you asked!
-Deuteronomy 1:2
It should have been a short trip. It was only supposed to take 11 days. Instead it took 40 years. Forty years to attain the promise that God had given them; forty years of circles and cycles. It is tempting to review the account of the children of Israel's exodus from Egypt to their entrance into
Canaan and shake our heads. We think "poor them". How could it take them so long? What were they thinking? They could have entered a lot sooner.
Yet, if we look at our own lives we will see that there have been times that we have circled the same mountain a few times as well. I can certainly see circular tracks around the mountain of my marriage. Times where I repeated the same behaviors and expected different results (insanity...I know). There were times that I acted just like the children of Israel. I complained. I questioned why. I had my doubts. Yes, just like the children of Israel, my patterns led to something that could have been remedied quickly taking years of my life. Years! It took years! It has only been in the last few years that I have accessed some of the promises God made about my marriages at the beginning. John and I have been married for almost 19 years. I circled for at least 10 - actually more like 15, but I digress.
This is why I am so passionate about marriage and the ministry God has given me. I don't want other wives, other marriages, to take the long route. I want the trip between God showing you the promise and you receiving the promise to be short, and if my story can help you than I am more than grateful. As passionate as I am, I realize that my wanting you to take a short cut doesn't mean that you will take one. You, dear wife/husband, have to decide that you will take the direct route of obedience to God. That you will break cycles and patterns that are delaying your arrival to your promised land. Aren't you tired of arguing about the same things? Aren't you tired of fighting the same battles?Aren't you tired of circling the same mountain?
I declare to you that this is the year that we break cycles and stop going in circles! This is the year that we fully align with God and destroy bondages and chains that have bound us. This is the year that we attain a new level in our marriage and our life. Our unions have purpose, and we must agree with God to break those cycles that threaten that purpose. How do we break the cycles? I am glad you asked!
- We partner with God to be the spouse (and the person) that God called us to be.
- We pray and cover our spouse and marriage.
- We walk in love - overlooking minor things and choosing to focus on the major things.
- We prioritize our spouse and our marriage.
- We use our words to bless them and not curse them.
- We walk in forgiveness quickly.
God is adept at breaking cycles! He doesn't want us to circle the same mountain repeatedly. He has given us the ability to conquer and triumph, and I declare that this is the year that we will do just that! Take the short cut, saints! Don't let your pride make you take the long route. Don't let waiting on your spouse to do what is right make you take the long route! Don't let guilt, condemnation, shame, fear, or unbelief make you take the long route! Don't let it take you years to accomplish what could have been done in weeks! He wants you to get there quickly, but it is up to you!
Monday, January 15, 2018
Monday's Marriage Moment -- We Are Not on the Same Page!
Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
-1 Samuel 1:8
If you have followed my blog or Believing Wives Facebook page, you know that this is our year of agreement! I've devoted this whole month to focusing on how we can get into agreement with God and with our spouse. Agreement is my focus, and I believe it is God's best for us wholeheartedly, but I would be lying if I did not admit that there are times when we will not be on the same page with our spouse. There will be times when you are thinking one thing and they are thinking another. There will be times when your perspectives are different. There will be times when you totally misunderstand each other.
A great example is found in 1Samuel chapter 1. Here we find Hannah and her husband Elkanah. I could discuss the fact that there is another wife in the picture, Peninnah, who complicates the situation, but that is not the focus of our discussion today. Hannah desires a baby, specifically a son. At this point, she is unable to conceive. She is barren and broken, and her husband doesn't understand her pain. Her asks her in verse 8, "am I not better to you than ten sons?" He thinks that he should be enough fore her. He doesn't understand the pain she is feeling or the emptiness in her heart. He doesn't understand what it is like to be tormented by Peninnah, who is able to have her husband's children. He just doesn't get it. They are not on the same page.
Hannah could do a lot of things, but I think it is important to note what she doesn't do. She doesn't spend time fussing with Elkanah about the fact that he doesn't get it. She doesn't continue to try to make him understand (which is something I have been guilty of more than I care to admit). She doesn't lock herself in her room and refuse to talk to him. She doesn't call him names or insult his manhood.
She takes her concerns to God. She seems to get that Elkanah doesn't have the answer. I'm sure she wished that he understood, but she also accepted that he didn't. So she took her cares, her concerns, her hurt, and her pain to the One who could do something about it. The bible says that she poured her heart out to God to the point that the priest thought she was drunk (vs. 12 - 14). In the end, God granted her requested. She received the baby she so desperately prayed for.
I pray this week that we take a page out of Hannah's book. Let's learn not to fuss and fight when we are not on the same page with our spouse. Instead, let's take our concerns to God. I truly believe that her response of peace and love played a role in her receiving the promise!
-1 Samuel 1:8
If you have followed my blog or Believing Wives Facebook page, you know that this is our year of agreement! I've devoted this whole month to focusing on how we can get into agreement with God and with our spouse. Agreement is my focus, and I believe it is God's best for us wholeheartedly, but I would be lying if I did not admit that there are times when we will not be on the same page with our spouse. There will be times when you are thinking one thing and they are thinking another. There will be times when your perspectives are different. There will be times when you totally misunderstand each other.
A great example is found in 1Samuel chapter 1. Here we find Hannah and her husband Elkanah. I could discuss the fact that there is another wife in the picture, Peninnah, who complicates the situation, but that is not the focus of our discussion today. Hannah desires a baby, specifically a son. At this point, she is unable to conceive. She is barren and broken, and her husband doesn't understand her pain. Her asks her in verse 8, "am I not better to you than ten sons?" He thinks that he should be enough fore her. He doesn't understand the pain she is feeling or the emptiness in her heart. He doesn't understand what it is like to be tormented by Peninnah, who is able to have her husband's children. He just doesn't get it. They are not on the same page.
Hannah could do a lot of things, but I think it is important to note what she doesn't do. She doesn't spend time fussing with Elkanah about the fact that he doesn't get it. She doesn't continue to try to make him understand (which is something I have been guilty of more than I care to admit). She doesn't lock herself in her room and refuse to talk to him. She doesn't call him names or insult his manhood.
She takes her concerns to God. She seems to get that Elkanah doesn't have the answer. I'm sure she wished that he understood, but she also accepted that he didn't. So she took her cares, her concerns, her hurt, and her pain to the One who could do something about it. The bible says that she poured her heart out to God to the point that the priest thought she was drunk (vs. 12 - 14). In the end, God granted her requested. She received the baby she so desperately prayed for.
I pray this week that we take a page out of Hannah's book. Let's learn not to fuss and fight when we are not on the same page with our spouse. Instead, let's take our concerns to God. I truly believe that her response of peace and love played a role in her receiving the promise!
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