“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 1 Samuel 2:2 NIV
Ahead of the story, God shows his glory. Today's extract is taken from the song Hannah composed to praise God who had shown himself strong and mighty in her life. Let's get the context: the issue: Hannah was a wife, though a second one, to a man of the tribe of Ephraim in Israel. Her rival wife had children, but she did not. The reality: she knew the God of Israel is powerful and can do all things, so she came in year after year to the temple at Shiloh, where Eli the priest ministered. She would pray, and return home; however, nothing changed, well maybe in the physical, but God, the Almighty, was at work. How it happened, I do not know, but one day, Hannah brought God into her prayer, promising that she would return the son God would give her back to the Lord. It was as if a light shone on her heart to pray what God was looking for.
That holds a lesson for me: I have to know where God is at work, and join him there. I cannot define the terms of engagement by myself, as I do not own the assignment. I can spend 20 years praying for something, but God will not change his mind if it does not align with his perfect will. His perfect knowledge makes him the best consultant for life's decisions and reactions. Men were still coming to the temple, offering sacrifices, and speaking to the resident prophet, but had moved beyond Eli and was searching for a replacement. The prayer of Hannah was God's current work, and it is not a wonder that by the turn of the year, Hannah already had a son. God's will discovered, man's will aligned and of course, prayer answered.
What holds my heart? Is it a desire for self-glory or God's glory? The song of Hannah here also speaks to the story of Eli, Hannah and Samuel. There is none holy like the Lord. He does not compromise on his nature, and he can dispense with anyone who does not live up to his standard. I must pursue after God's version of holiness, as he has said that without it, no man shall see him. There is no one besides him. He is both your friend and your master. He tells me what his mind and desire for me are, as a friend, but he also demands total obedience as a master. I must learn that both apply to God: he is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and at the same time, the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. Can I take one side and ignore the other? Will God be God if he is not all that he has introduced himself as to us?
There is no Rock like our God. It will take personal experience to make such a statement. Yes, there are times that it would appear that God has not heard, but it goes against his nature not to hear the prayer of those who earnestly seek him. As long as my heart is right with him, he will hear; it is his answer, which could sometimes be his silence, that may worry me. Will anything shake the confidence I have in God, even if I don't hear what I want? Will my physical experience in any way change the reality of who God is, and what he can do? Like Hannah, my heart is settled on who God is, no matter what else he brings. What he allows to come to me flow out of his love for me. I praise hiim today, because I know he is at work, and he is perfecting all that concerns me. God's time of favour is here.
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