Cherish The Cross

• Petitions are borne out of great need
• Even when Hannah’s womb was closed (she was barren), she still continued to go to the temple year after year (v. 7)
  • Application:  We must continue worshipping God even when it seems our prayers are not answered.  We worship God not because our prayers are answered but rather because He is God and He is a good God no matter our situation
• Two kinds of behaviors when in time of desperate need:
  • “She wept and would not eat” (v.7) – our usual response to “unanswered prayer” and continued predicament is crying and self pity, which could lead to depression.
  • “Hannah stood up” (v.9), “Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord’ (v.10), “And she made a vow” (to the Lord) (v.11) – we must rise from our self-pity and do what we can to solve our problems; and whatever is not humanly-possible to do we must leave to the Lord in prayer.  Hannah vowed to the Lord that she will offer her son to the Lord, should the Lord give her a son.  Application: when God is to answer our prayers, it is always for His glory, not for our glory.  Hannah had always been the brunt of ridicule from her other counterpart, Penninah.  She could easily have kept her son as a way to stop the ridicule from coming, but she would choose to offer her son for the Lord’s service.  She chose the way of humility.  If she would keep her son, the son would be like her trophy, but instead she offered her son to the Lord, as the Lord’s trophy.   When we pray, we must pray in humility.  We must be mindful of not putting ourselves on the pedestal when God answers our prayers, but we must lift God higher and give Him all the glory when our prayers are answerd.

–More to come–

I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

Jesus did not say “go ahead of me”, but “follow me” because He will not lead us where He is not.

When they had finished eating,, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these? Yes, Lord, he said, you know that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my lambs. (John 21:15)

The real question is not have we wept enough, or have we punished ourselves enough but rather if we love Him enough. And yet we could never say we’ve loved Him enough because there is always something more of Him to love and more of us to deny.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

Jesus deemed us worth dying for. He is worth living for.

Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die. Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning. (Exodus 20:19-20)

Godly fear is not the dread of the consequences but the reverence that keeps us from breaking His heart.

The Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears say, Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. (Rev 22:17)

There is a thirst within us that cannot be quenched by all the education, fame, money, drugs, relationships and other seemingly desirable things in this world. It is only God who can fill the innermost longing of our soul, HIM.