Giving Birth to Your Purpose |
Now Peninnah would scoff and laugh at Hannah each year as they went to Shiloh to worship God at the Temple. But if only Peninnah had known that though Hannah was infertile, she was about to give birth to her purpose which was in the mind and in the palm of God's hands.
Can you imagine? How humiliated and sorrowful, Hannah must have felt while Peninnah taunted and embarrassed her year after year. During this time Peninnah was constantly giving birth and fulfilling her purpose as a wife, whereas Hannah was unable to fulfill her purpose. This was very devastating and heartbroken for Hannah because Peninnah would mock her publicly on the way to the Temple yearly.
Weeping Hannah was determined that she would give birth to her purpose no matter how long it took her even though she was infertile. Therefore, this caused Hannah to weep in anguish and cried bitterly in prayer before God (1 Samuel 1:10).
Hannah's tears of bitterness and infertility have come up before God in prayer since God in His Wisdom and Sovereignty has closed up Hannah's womb, today we would wonder why would God do something like that. Hannah was infertile, her husband loved her the most and yet she was still unhappy.
Hannah was driven by purpose, but she was unaware of it. When you are purpose-driven or pregnant with a purpose it is like fire shut up in your bones, remember the Prophet Jeremiah, he was also purpose-driven (Jeremiah 20:7-11). Even though purpose will put you in a negative situation and causes you to become a public mockery, but that is just how purpose works, purpose provokes one's faith, endurance and perseverance.
Hannah's situation was so negative It causes her to seek God even more desperately, she refused to eat and her husband Elkanah had so many questions, why Are you not eating? Why make such a fuss over not having no children? Isn’t having me better than having ten sons? (1 Samuel 1:6:8).
Purpose is About to Be Conceived:
Each and every one of us has a purpose in life, we weren't born by accident. We might not know our purpose but the Sovereign God knows what He has ordained and commissioned us to do. Giving birth to your purpose, you can plainly see an illustration in (Jeremiah Chapter 1:4-5).
There are times when we are interceding to God through prayer for various things in our lives. Whether it's a child, a spouse, a job, a career or any other request, just like Hannah's situation.
Often times we become discouraged because our request to God has not been fulfilled. But everything God does it has to be in His own time and season. Hannah wanted a child for years and God closed her womb.
In the Old Testament days being infertile was considered a curse. Hannah knew that the same God who had closed her womb, it is the same God who is able open it. Therefore, Hannah poured out her heart and soul before the Holy God of Israel. At such time she vowed a vow and made her specific request known unto the Lord of Hosts.
There are times in our lives when we are going through our dark season but we can not understand why, but in our dark season that is when God is setting us apart to impregnate us with His purpose that is tied up in eternity. But what we need to do in that season is to submit ourselves to God in prayer and fasting so that we may receive what God had pre-ordained for us. Just like Hannah her final prayer request to God was "Let thy handmaid find Grace in thy sight." She knew by this time Favour was granted unto her because her countenance was no more sad, and purpose is about to be conceived.
Giving Birth to Your Purpose in The Fullness of Time:
Now Hannah woke up early the next morning and worship God, and returned home to Ramah and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and she was conceived.
Hannah gave birth to her purpose, a son she named him Samuel meaning "name of God" or "God heard." Hannah kept her vow to the Lord and brought the child Samuel back to the Temple at Shiloh. Where he served under the leadership of Eli the High Priest.
At a set time, the Lord commissioned Samuel as a Prophet, Priest and Judge. He was also a Nazarite from birth.
Commemorating Hannah's Dilemma:
- Her adversary provoked her yearly and humiliated her in public.
- She was unable to eat.
- She seeks God desperately in the Temple at Shiloh.
- The Priest Eli thought she was drunk.
- She vowed a vow to God.
- The Lord God granted her Grace.
Giving birth to your purpose oftentimes seems like a delay and a disappointment, but God has the past, present and future in His hands. God knew from before the foundation of the earth that Eli's two sons would not be capable because their sins would defile them from taking over Eli's office as a High Priest before God. Therefore, God had closed Hannah's womb, waiting for the set time to give birth to the one who would take over Eli's duties.
As we look back on the Scripture we can see the work of Samuel in the Kingdom of God. Samuel was an active Judge, Priest, and Prophet and God uses him to commission King Saul, as well as King David whose Geneology is sitting on the Throne of God at this present time and will remain forever and forever.
Conclusion:
Based on the word of God we can acknowledge that God created each one of us for His purpose. These are some of the patriarchs that God used to fulfill His divine purpose Jacob, Joseph, Jeremiah, Samuel, King David, and Jesus Christ).
Purpose: defines your existence or the reason for which you were created. But primarily it is God's will upon your life, and also purpose has a set time to be manifested based upon God's perfect timing over each person's life.
So let us hold on to God's unchanging hands while He uses us to demonstrate His purpose on earth for His Glory!