God Shows Up When You Need Him

Synopsis     1Sam 1:24-2:8     8/10/2018

Hannah gave birth to a son. And, she named him Samuel. She did not return to Shiloh, or take him to the annual festival until after he was weaned. She then took him and presented him to Eli, along with a significant sacrifice.

As she had promised, she gave the child to Eli. From the time that he was weaned, Samuel remained at the Tent of Meeting with Eli, ministering before the Lord.

Hannah’s Rejoicing in the Lord

Hannah recited a song of thanksgiving. She rejoiced in the way that God seems to take pleasure in lifting up the down-hearted. Her song celebrated the principle of trusting absolutely in the Lord. It’s in this, according to the lessons of her life, that God is to be known.

God Show Up When You Need Him

What does it mean for you and me that God, “makes the tottering put on strength”?

Hannah had done everything in her power to have a child. But it wasn’t enough. So, when she had tried everything else – when she had poured her life into achieving her dream and she couldn’t do it, there was only one thing left to do. She prayed to God.

That’s how it goes. Work until there is nothing left undone. Work hard until there’s nothing more you can do. Then, when every human effort is exhausted, and it’s clear that you can do nothing more to enter into your vision, pray to God. And then, God shows up when you need Him.

So, what’s the takeaway?

Trusting God isn’t simply a matter of praying when I come up short – especially if I haven’t really tried to be successful. The message is: You need to have a dream in order to see God.

If I’m not crying out to God in prayer, it’s not because I don’t need Him. No. The truth of our time is that His abundance is so great that I may not perceive my need. If I’m healthy and fed, with a roof over my head, it’s easy to be complacent. I might even say, “What do I need God for?” It’s easy to wonder why I should want God in my life.

But, if I’m not crying out to God in prayer, then what it really means is that I’m not out there far enough. I’m settling for a level of actual achievement that is nowhere near fulfilling my potential. My dreams have simply not been big enough. Or perhaps better said, I have not let myself dream on God’s scale for my life.

Remember, failure isn’t that, “I tried but didn’t achieve”. Failure is, “I didn’t try”.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” Phil 4:4