Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:8, 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?”
I want to open today’s message by saying that this is not just for married couples, but for those who are praying that the Lord will someday lead them to the right person. As much as we pray for the person that is right for us, we too must be made ready to be the right person for them. As we read this chapter, it is obvious that Elkanah loved Hannah. He treated her well and even gave her a double portion of the offering that was going to be presented at the house of the Lord (v. 5). Even though he did all he could to show his love for her, there was one thing that Elkanah could not do, make Hannah a mother. The reason, we are told, is because God closed her womb (v. 5-6). This is something that we often fail to understand in our relationships. In Christ, we have brothers and sisters in Christ that we can turn to for encouragement, and to whom we can encourage. We are called to encourage and exhort one another (Hebrews 10:23-25). We are to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). We are to comfort and edify each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11). However, in close relations we must be careful that we not expect from others what rightfully belongs to God. We must also be careful that we not put ourselves in the place of God in someone else’s life. This is a great danger, especially in marital relationships. There will come times when a husband or wife will be grieved over a loss or some other personal conflict. The solution to that circumstance or conflict may only be found in the hands of the Lord. Hannah was grieved over something that her husband did not have the power to rectify. It was the Lord who closed her womb, and only the Lord could open it. As husbands, we must understand that we cannot always solve the issues that trouble our wives, but the one thing we can do is love them unconditionally, pray for them, and comfort them when they need it. I will take this opportunity to warn both husbands and wives, be careful that you not put the burden or the blame on your spouse for something that belongs to God exclusively. Although He has given us each other to love and honor one another, we must make sure that our complete satisfaction in life comes from our relationship with Jesus first. When we read verse 8, we can almost hear the disappointment in Elkanah’s question, “Am I not better to you than ten sons?” Hannah responded properly when she did not answer him, and instead turned to the Lord in prayer (v. 10). In the Book of Revelation, chapter 2, Jesus said this to the Church at in verse 4, after commending them for the labor, patience, and perseverance, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Have we left our first love and put someone else in His place? Do we rely on others (our spouse, or other close relations) to fulfill that which can only be fulfilled by God? If so, we have made someone else our god and therefore made that person an idol in our lives. This is dangerous territory to venture into in any relationship and will eventually be the cause of that relationship’s downfall. In Matthew 22:37 Jesus said, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Although we are called to love one another (John 13:34; 1 Corinthians 13), we are not to love anyone above the Lord, and that means that we must not put anyone before Him. Far too many marriages have ended in bitterness because a husband, wife, or both, were looking for fulfillment and satisfaction in each other, rather than finding total satisfaction in Jesus first. When we learn to be satisfied in Christ first, and grow out of that relationship, we will then have less of a tendency to put unnecessary burdens, that belong with the Lord, on one another. Ultimately, it was the Lord who opened Hannah’s womb (v. 19-20). It was not until the Lord did this, that Elkanah was able to fulfill Hannah’s desire for motherhood. When we find ourselves conflicted over something we are lacking in our relationships, let us first go to the Lord in prayer before we blame our spouse for something that is beyond their control, and for something that can only be resolved by God. Always keep Jesus at the center of any relationship and be completely satisfied with Him first, for if we are not, we will find satisfaction in nothing or no one.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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