None!

None!

1 Samuel 2:2 AMP

[2] “There is no one holy like the Lord, There is no one besides You, There is no Rock like our God.

A quick context to the verse above. There was this woman named Hannah who the bible was careful to note these three facts, among many others: her husband loved her very much, she was barren and it was the Lord who had shut up her womb. We can debate whether God does the things we label as 'bad' by our own standards, or we can accept His Omnipotence and allow Him work as He pleases in our lives, so we can turn out as He desires, and not the way we want. God can do whatever He pleases with His creation, and I can engage Him in prayer to understand His purpose for me, but He chooses how and when He wants to respond. One thing that has been clear since the beginning of time is that there is no one or anything in all of creation that can defeat or thwart God's purpose. If He allows it, it is because it will work out that which is in line with where He wants me to do, and who He is building me up to be. 

Can I trust me with my life, even when it seems that God is not doing it the way I want? Can I tarry in the place of prayer until He gives direction on the next step? Hannah would come year after year, asking for a child, and it would seem that God was not listening. On this day, everything seemed to align. God, who knew what was ahead, was already planning for a replacement for the priest of the house, as it did not appear that any of the priests in place at the time could serve in that office. It is also not recorded whether Hannah knew God's mind at the time, but she said a prayer that seemed to line up with God's desire, and with the priest's blessing, she got a child that she was able to dedicate to the Lord, in line with her prayer request. Who says it does not pay to know, follow, serve, and submit to this God? Hannah's life shows the power and impact of persistence in the place of prayer.  

Hannah got what she wanted, and it is not a surprise that she is credited with the prayer or song in the verse above. It takes a personal encounter with this God to make declarations like the ones above. How do you celebrate and reverence a Holy God the right way, if you have not seen Him at work, or seen what His Holiness demands? If you have not taken time to reflect, how can you determine that there is no other God besides the One true God, and a Rock like no other. Being dependable at all times and in all situations is not an attribute that can be assigned to the natural man. Being a Rock means a place of safety and security, a place of rest and restoration, and a place of refuge from storms. Hannah had come to know this God, and we will do well to also come to know Him this way. He wants to show Himself strong, but it is by total and absolute surrender that He will be able to do all He has promised. Do you know this God? Does He know you? God's time of favour is here.