Hannah Got It Right

The LORD gives both death and life; he brings some down to the grave but raises others up. The LORD makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the LORD’s, and he has set the world in order. “He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone. Those who fight against the LORD will be shattered. He thunders against them from heaven; the LORD judges throughout the earth. He gives power to his king; he increases the strength of his anointed one.” [1 Samuel 2.6-10]

Hannah's prayer here speaks volumes.

Isn't it time that God's people just get real about their circumstances? There are no coincidences. Every single situation and circumstance has meaning and reason. Blessings are from the LORD and curses are from the LORD for obedience or disobedience respectively. And, our respective responses reveal our hearts.

When a person is blessed, he should bless God and offer sacrifices because he knows that every blessing comes from God and not his own efforts.

When a person is cursed, he should repent and offer sacrifices because he knows his own role in his curses.

But that was Old Testament, right?

So, Jesus enters the scene.

When a person is blessed he should bless God in Christ because he knows that every blessing comes from God through Jesus and not his own efforts.

When a person is cursed, he should repent and believe in Christ because he knows his own role in his curses.

However, in the highly secular Church today, blessings and curses are merely circumstances with perfectly reasonable scientific explanations and remedies. Repentance is a word to be avoided. Jesus and faith provide little more than wishful thinking for those who still hold some idea that religion is important (although they really don't know why). They view curses (physical, material and emotional losses) as Adam and Eve's fault at best or as merely circumstantial at worst feeling no responsibility for repentance themselves either way. Faith is more of an abstract idea than it is a mountain-moving force while those who promote it as "real" mainly do so for temporal relief and worldly gain. They label any person who claims otherwise as "fanatical" or "out of touch with reality." Oh, they still emotionally acknowledge "Jesus" of the first century, but arrogantly reject any notion of the exact same Jesus operating in people today (identified by His methods and miracles).

But Hannah got it right in her prayer of thanksgiving in 1 Samuel chapter 2. We should too. It starts with our humble acknowledgement that God is in control of everything and therefore, everything has a reason: 1) for us to bring Him glory (for blessings) or 2) repentance (for curses). This two-part humble acknowledgment is only complete as we are in Christ.

Father, all the earth is the Yours, and You have set the world in order. May I be found living accordingly in Christ regardless what others say or think.