Hannah - A Mother Of Faith | Pr Stephen Kong

You're listening to a message to go from acts church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

I got to bring you a message this morning from

the story and the Book of Samma about a person

who wanted to be a mom.

Okay, her name is Hannah. Okay.

She wanted to have a child, but she was barren

or she could not have a child, let's put it away, okay.

And she prayed and asked the Lord for a child. Okay.

And so I call this title the title my message

would be Hannah a Mother of faith.

Okay.

So if you have a Bible with you, which I

recommend you to have to bring a bible to church

because we want to get a habit of turning of

physical bibles. Okay, So if you have a Bible, make

sure you bring it to church.

I highly recommend that.

So if you have a Bible for you, let's turn

to First Sammer chapter one.

Okay.

So the first book of Sammer and the first chapter

and verse one.

Okay.

So I'm just gonna cover just this one chapter, okay,

but you can go back and read chapter two, which

is also Hannah's prayer to the Lord or thanksgiving or

prays to the Lord. Okay, But because of time, I'm

just gonna read one chapter and then I'll give you

the context and then you'll go into the message.

Okay, here we go.

So worse one says there was a certain man of

Rama times of him of the mountains of f Him,

and his name was Elkanah.

Okay.

So this man's name is Elkana, the son of Jeahem,

the son of Elihu, the son of Tauhu, the son

of Zulf, the son of Frami, and so f mine okay.

And he had two wives. So al Kanah had two wives.

The name of one was Hannah. The name of the

other was Panina.

Okay.

Panina had children, but Hannah had no children. This man

went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice

to the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. Also the two

sons of Eli Hoffney and finna Has, the fees of

the Lord, were there. And whenever the time came for

Elcannah to make an offering, he would give portions to Paniina,

his wife, and to all his sons and daughters. But

to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he

loved Hannah. Although the Lord had closed her womb. Okay,

very important thing to know. Although the Lord had closed

her womb, and her rival, which is Paniga, also provoked

her severely to make her miserable because the Lord had

closed her womb. So it was year by year when

she went up to the house of the Lord that

she provoked her. Therefore she wept and did not eat.

Now what's it? Then, Elcanah, her husband said to her, Hannah,

why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And

why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to

you than ten sons?

Well?

What question to ask? Sometimes men don't understand. It's true,

I'm saying as a man, So no of you know

what a question? Am I not better to you than

ten sons? He asked his wife. So Hannah arose after

they had finished eating and drinking and shallow. Now Eli,

the priest was sitting on the seat by the door

posts of the tabernac of the Lord, and she was

in bitterness of soul and pray to the Lord, and

wept in anguish to this Hannah. Okay, Then she made

a wow and said, whole lot of hosts, if you

were indeed look on the affliction of your maid servant

and remember me, and not forget your maid servant. But

I would give your maids, but would give your maid

servant a male child. Then I would give him to

the Lord all the days of his life, and no

razor shall come upon his head. By the way this

is called, it's called a vow and answer right wow,

okay uh. And usually they will not shave their head

and all the hair, usually for a period of time.

But for this Hannah is saying, it's going to be

for life, for life, okay, And virtue of any happened

as she continued praying before the Lord that Eli watched

her mouth. So Eli is one of the priests. Now

Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but

her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she was drunk.

So Eli said to her, how long will you be drunk?

Put your wine away from you. But Hannah answered and said, no,

my Lord, I'm a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have

drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out

my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maid

servant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of

my complaint and grief, I have spoken until now. Then

Eli answered and said, go in peace, and the God

of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of him.

And she said, let your maid servant find favor in

your side. So the woman went away and it and

her face was no longer said all right, let me

stop here for a while, okay, and let me go

straight into the point for before I continue, really because

it's very long. So the the context of this story

is that the Book of Samuel talks.

About three great men okay.

He talks about Samuel himself okay, Saul and David okay,

who eventually are the two kings that came after that okay.

And Samuel was actually the last judge okay, the last

of the judges, and eventually became the first of the

prophets okay.

So that's that's the transition.

And so it was the time of a transition from

the judges to the kings okay. And so it was

a time whereby there was a period of materialism and

ruthlessness in Israel, and Hannah at this point of time

emerged as a woman of faith okay, who really wanted

to have a child but could not have She was barren, okay,

And so it begins. This story actually begins with a

man called Elcannah, which is the husband and a woman.

Okay.

Of course there's two women, Banana and Hannah, which I'm

going to focus on Hannah today, okay. And so this

book begins with a woman who was in for town

and who really had faith and trusted in God, and

who eventually gave birth to Sammah. And so as a saying,

when God wants to do a great work, he gets

hold of a man, but when he wants to do

an exceptionally great work, he gets hold of a woman.

And a woman say amen. And so we find it

in the Bible. There are many stories right that involve

women of faith. You can actually find it, okay, including Hannah, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel.

All of these names I just mentioned were baron. Okay,

they're all barren women. But yet God did the miracle

and did great things, you know, even through them. Okay,

who else you know? Of course, out of barrenness, God's

great salvation plan came in andto those women, you know,

that's very powerful. Let me see, the preservation of Israel

also came to another woman. Her name was Esther, okay, Esther,

you know they were supposed to annihilate them. But Esther

at such a time as this, you know, Mordechai, I

think was advisor. You're there for such a time as this.

You know, you've got to do this, You're you're placing

this position, you know. And so she did it, and

so she was an influencer, you know, a powerful figure

who helped to save the israel the Israelites, you know.

Besides that, I'm sure we know that the birth of

Jesus came to Mary, right, and so a salvation plan,

you know, also involved a young Jewish woman called Mary

who had a visitation by the angels, you know. And

so we find that there are many stories in the

Bible that involve great women, women of faith, who believe

and trusted in God even and so.

I'd like to say that great problems create great women.

They do, Okay, So I said earlier that barren women

like Hannah, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel can go read it with

stories about them and how the Lord use them, you know,

how they pray unto the Lord. You know, out of

a great problem. They came in prayer to the Lord,

and out of the problem became a miracle and they

became very great women. And so I said, a little

out of barrenness, God's great salvation plan came to them.

And the bigger the problem we face, right, the bigger

the glory that God receives. How many if you know that,

the bigger the problem we face, and when the testimony

comes to pass, the.

Greater the glow way that God receives.

He works in mysterious ways that you and I will

never fully understand at that moment in time, we will

never fully understand.

Okay, I'm gonna come to that, Okay.

So just to give some context in this story, the Bible,

Alcanah had two wives okay, called Panina and Hannah. That's

called polygamy okay, and it was a way of life

and practice in the olden culture. But the Bible never

actually condoned polygamy okay. In fact, it actually cautions told

the kings actually not to have not to marry many wives.

Okay.

In the Bible, you'll find it, and you will know

that King Solomon, although he was very wise, had many

many wives. I think it was seven hundred or something

of that, okay. And because of that, the Bible actually

says that the many wives led him astray, so he

was actually, let you know, a straight because of his wives.

And so, but in the olden days, right when a

woman is barren for I think about ten years, they

were actually considered remarrying and having another wife so that

they can continue on with the offspring or with the generation,

you know. So it was something that was practiced in

the olden days. And we don't know for sure. I

don't know for sure, but it could have been that

I kind of took a second wife, okay. And so

between the two wives there was some fiction. It's common, right,

because the Bible tells us you can't serve two masters.

You know, you either love the other or hate the other.

You know, you can't love them equally the same because

you can't serve two masters. And so clearly we can

see in this story that it do not go so well, right,

There was some fiction. There was some hatred within one

and one and the other, you know, because Banana had

children and Hannah couldn't you know, and Banana someone provoke

Hannah even more so that was wasn't a very good

place to be in. So we know from the story

that Alcana is actually a very godly man, Okay.

He would go and fulfill his duties.

He would go free times a year to appear before

God for the for the feast and the festivals. And

actually Hannah was not required to go, okay, but she was.

She would still go because she was devoted to God

and she wanted to worship the Lord. And so she went.

And this is where I come to my first point.

It starts with pee. It's the power of fervent prayer.

So Hannah, in the midst of her desperation, in the

midst of her distress, in the midst of all that

she was going through, she came to the Lord in prayer,

in desperation, you know. And so you just give me

a minute. Somehow my eye pace messing up, Okay.

Yeah.

So Hannah, in desperation, right, wanted to be a mother.

She wanted to have a child, right, and she couldn't.

And she she really desired to be a mother. And

there was something that al Kanna, her husband could not fulfill.

Right.

And that's why when you know, when her husband said

to her, am, I not better to you than ten sons.

That's not something that husband can fulfill right, because Hannah

had the desire to be a mom and out of

the bitterness that she had of her soul and great anguish,

yet Hannah still did the right thing. You know.

What's the writing that she did. She brought it to

the Lord in prayer. She brought it to the Lord

in prayer.

And her response was to cry out to God and

to pour out her soul before the Lord. And this

is an example of what a fervent prayer looks like.

Because God hears us, really he hears us. When we

pray to him with ernesty, with all our hearts. We're

feeding out the golden bowl, you know, the jars that

filled with the prayer, you know, in sense of the

prayer of the saints.

The Bible says in revelations, you know.

And so Hannah lifted up her voice to the Lord

in prayer of us.

When she prayed.

She didn't say it out, but it was in the spirit,

you know, and with the sacrifice from my heart.

So sounds fifty one.

Verse seventeen says the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

a broken and a contrite heart. This, oh God, you

will not despise so out of the brokenness. There's another word,

be brokenness or brevenness. Out of the brokenness and the

brokenness that Hannah was going to, she bought our heart

to the Lord.

The Lord definitely hurt her.

God hears us, especially when we desire to honor him

and we desire to please him, even if we don't understand.

We need to pour our heart to him with all

our hearts.

Amen.

And sometimes you and I will not understand, really understand

how things work. So when I read the story, I

realize her Baniana is the more evil person, right, the

more nice person. But she had the children, and Hannah

was wature, was a nicer one. They didn't have children.

That gives you a picture, right, that some things in

our lives, right, we will not fully understand, do you agree?

Really? I can't understand now, But God has his plans fed.

The Bible actually tells us that God had closed her womb.

So now we understand why, okay, But in that moment

you won't understand.

Right.

God is the one is who understands, and he's fully

in control. I fat the Bible tells us. The Bible

never tells us to understand everything. He tells us to

trust Him in everything. Right, we are never called to

understand everything. We are called to trust Him in everything.

Because if we fully understand everything, and if we are

fully in control, you and I don't need faith. Think

about it, we don't even need to trust God because

we have it all in control. We fully understand everything.

But that's the reason why you and I need faith,

because we need to trust Go for what we cannot

do You know and what we don't understand. God will

remain God, and He will always be God and not us.

So Philippines four, verse six to seven reminds us be

anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God

and the peace of God which pass us all understanding

what God your hearts and minds to Christ Jesus.

So the thing I want to highlight in this verse is.

In everything, in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,

let your request be made known to God. So again

I say, you and I we may not fully understand everything,

but God has never asked us to understand everything. He

asks us to trust Him, to pray in everything and

with thanksgiving.

Amen.

So back to the story I have Hannah, she was

barren and in the barrenness right, Baroness speaks about emptiness,

it speaks about hopelessness, It speaks about a place of desperation.

Or you can speak about.

A place whereby you're in the waiting, you're waiting for

a promise, you're waiting for something to come to pass.

You know, if you are in that place, I want

to encourage you to keep on pressing in prayer and

never give up, never stop believing, never stop praying, But

to keep on praying.

I think that's a word that we use. It's called push.

I think pray until something happens, you know, never stop believing,

continue praying. And I want to say to us, there

is a reason for the barrenness. It brings us into

a place of desperation where we truly need God. And

you know what it is to us. God actually captures

our attention. It does because the emptiness that we have,

or the period of waiting that we are in, or

the period of desperation that we're in, actually creates a

lot of room for God to work. So you want

to see God working continuously in your life. Put yourself

in a position where you need him to work where

you need, where you require a faith, you know, and

that is that place is definitely not in our comfort zone.

Because if you're only in our comfort zone, we're only

doing things that were good at, only doing things that

we are happy to do, and never allow ourselves to

be pushed out of a comfort zone. You don't really

need faith because we're complacent, you know. So I want

to say emptiness or a place of desperation creates room

for God to work. You know, when we have nothing,

God will have all of us. He will have all

of us. And the godly desire for a child that

Hannah had, you know, she had this desire so much

that she said, I would give it to you one,

you know. And and Samuel state in the temple, you know,

dedicated to the Lord for the rest of his life.

And Hannah gave his son Samuel to the Lord for

all his life. And so in the midst of our pain,

in the midst of our struggle, God has a plan,

and he is fully in control.

He is still at work.

And now say to us, while we are at our worst,

God is at work. Amen, while we are at our worst,

God is at work. He hears our deepest desires, He

hears our cry, he sees the tears that we cry,

you know, and remembers us.

He does, and I pray that you be encouraged.

God is still in control, even though you and I

may not fully understand what is happening. And so that's

why Hannah experienced in the barrenness, in the emptiness, she

surrendered fully to the Lord in prayer, and so passed

reminded us. You know that he has a code that

goes like this, bring everything to God before you bring

anything to men. Can I encourage you? Bring everything to

God before you bring anything to men. Pray in all

things because God is fully, fully in control. So now

let me just continue reading for another maybe ten more verses.

So verse eighteen, he said, let your maid seven find

favor in your side. So the woman went her way

and ate, and her face was no longer said So

after she finished praying, she went away eight and was

no longer said amen, because in the lost presence there

is fullness of joy. So verse nineteen. Then they he

rose early in the morning day. Of course, I think

it's a familyana the husband and the wife. Hannah rose

early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord and

returned and came to the house at Drama, and Elcannah

knew Hannah, his wife basically had intimacy, and the Lord

remembered her. So he came to pass in the process

of time. Listen to the word process of time that

Hannah conceived and bore a son and called his name Samma, saying,

because I have asked for him from the Lord, because

I've asked from him, asked for him from the Lord.

That's what his name she means. Now the man Elcannah

at all his house went up to offer to the

Lord the yearly sacrifice and his wow. But Hannah did

not go up, for she said to her husband, not

until the child is win, then I will take to

him that he may appear before the Lord and remain

there forever. So how can her husband say to her,

do what seems best to you, wait until you have

wined him. Only let the Lord establish his word and man,

so we know that got any man he knows. He's

saying the hand to Hannah, do whatever you need to do,

do what's best, you know, as long as let the

Lord's word be established. Then the woman stayed and nursed

her son until she had winned him verse twenty four. Now,

when she had wined him, she took him up with

her with three bulls, one ever of flower, and a

skin of wine, and brought him to the house of

the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. Then

they slaughtered a bull and brought the child to Eli.

And she said, oh, my Lord, as your soul leaves,

my Lord, I am the woman who stood by you

here praying to the Lord. I think Eli would have

got a shock in this story. I didn't say, the

Bible didn't say. But Eli was the priest, you know

that that actually thought that Hannah was drunk verse twenty seven.

For this child I prayed, and the Lord had granted

me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore I

also have lent him to the Lord. As long as

he lives, he shall be lent to the Lord. So

they worshiped the Lord. There So the second point I'm

going to bring to us is this praise in the

midst of our battles. Praise in the midst of our battles.

In verse nineteen, he says, then they arose early in

the morning and worship the Lord. So Hannah in a

place of desperation. After she had prayed, the miracle had

not happened yet. Well, what does the Bible tell us,

Hannah worshiped the Lord. They rose early in the morning

and worshiped the Lord. And so even though she and

her family had not seen the miracle yet, right, it

had not come past yet.

But yet in his presence there is fullness of joy.

And Hannah could immediately worship God the next day, you know,

rose early in the morning, could immediately worship God even

though the prayer had not yet been answered, and she

had food trust that God will answer her prayer. And

God has already heard her prayers. Amen, God hears our prayers.

He does every prayer. Be after God hears. He knows

He's working the questions. Can we trust the process or not?

Can we trust the timing? Can we trust how God

gives us according to his perfect will and his plan

and his purpose for us.

Amen?

And the reason why I call it is the battle

is because if you've read in verse not verse two,

chapter two Hannah. In Hannah's prayer and praise to the Lord,

she actually calls this a battle. Okay, just try to

say praise in the midst of the battle. If you

readly in chapter two you will see so her struggle

will panigas seem like a battle, you know, a scene

in a prayer. But she can find great peace and

comfort in the Lord's presence. And so I want to

say to us, if you're going to a tough time,

praise anyway, Praise the Lord anyway in the midst of

your battle, because that is where the victory is going

to come. Isaiah sixty one worst three reminds us the

garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, garment of praise.

Put on a government of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

You and I, after we have surrendered everything to the Lord,

we can praise him and worship him even though we

do not understand the situation, and even though we have

not seen the miracle. Maybe do that, even though we

have not seen the miracle yet, because God is fully

in control, and even as we praise him and even

as we worship him, we are giving him our total

surrender and asking God to take control. And so just

to share a quick simple story, you know, this week

for me actually as was very really tough. My company

got uh got caught in I would say, got caught

in a project that's really really tough, it's really really challenging.

The project timeline is crazy. It's like maybe half or

less than half of what the usual time timeline would be.

Like let's say, if a work takes but one month

to do, we were required to finish in one week.

And so I was very really busy at work lately

and having a lot of trouble.

And I'm not sure.

If I share this two weeks ago, but basically we

got some work done, and as the management came, we

checked some of our work, they saw like rejected our

work in that sense. Okay, they were very arrogant, very violent,

actually quite violent as adults. We're unprofessional as pret the way, okay,

and and things got really quite bad, okay, And they

were actually rejecting our work even though it was done,

done well and done right. And so in the midst

of that a few hours, I was there in my

project side and I began to pause for a while

and just to pray. And so I prayed and prayed,

I prayed, uh, and I continue to just praise a lot.

And one thing I did in particular, I actually realized

there was the spirit of oppression, you know, against against

the project, in particular the project. Uh. And so I

want to remind us that you and I we have

the same power, the Rose Christ on the date in

us and man the same power the Rose Christ on

the day lives in us. And so as I'm standing

in my project side, I'm saying, Lord, I refuse to

allow this to rob me or my company or this job.

You know, I refuse. I refuse to allow the enemy

to rob us. So in the name of Jesus, I

pushed back the forces of darkness. I break this spirit

of passion. And for the half an hour after I

finished praying, you just praise it, just worship him, you know.

I think one of the songs I sang was like,

way make God, you make away, you know? And another

old song I think it says God will make her

away where there seems to be no way. He works

in ways we cannot see. He will make her away

from me. So I begin to sing songs like this

and cut a long story shot. Two hours later, the

management guys came back, and they were very timid, very quiet,

very different from the first time they came. And after

they said look at it, okay, Okay, okay, don then

close case satter can move on. And I would say

I'm still in the middle of it, No, right now,

still in the middle of it. But I can praise

God anyway, praise in the midst of your battles. And

that's one of the reasons why in church, actually we

sing the songs time and time again. I share this

at our haddle meet or discipleship meet. In church we

sing the songs time and time again. Why so that

you and I will remember the songs, the songs will

be deep in our hearts, so that when you go

to struggles and challenges in your life, out of the

depths of your heart, you will be able to sing it,

you know. And it's those moments of worship that you

really surrender to God.

You know, there's no one else while you're.

Doing it, just you, you know, the depths of your heart.

Maybe you're no one singing out loud, just inside your heart,

you know, and you just sing it out of your

out of your heart and surrender to the Lord. Those

are the times of worship, the powerful times whereby we

just really survender.

And that's why we sing the songs time and time

and time again. In church.

We pray it will help you so that you will

sing on a Monday to the Saturday, and not just

on a Sunday. Even so, praise, come on, praise in

the midst of a battle. If you're in the middle

of a better praise, worship him because that's what Hannah did.

Miracle had not come to pass, but as a person

who wanted to be a matter so much, pray and praise.

That's two peace for you. Pray and praise. One.

John five fourteen to fifteen reminds us. Now, this is

the confidence that we have in Him that if we

ask anything according to his will, he hears us, and

man he hears us. And if we know that he

hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have

the petitions that we have asked of him. So that

is why every time you know our prayers waste oftentimes

at the end of our person will pray, God, we

thank you because you have already heard us. Really, I

encourage you to pray that God. I thank you that

you have already heard us. You already hurt my prayer.

And even as we have after a prayer to him,

God has already hurt us A man and he's working.

He's at work even though you and I can't see.

So my turn and final point is this per serverance

in the time of waiting. Perseverance in the time of waiting.

So the Bible tells us that God remembered her. Okay,

the Lord remembered her. So God hurt Hannah's prayer. But

even then, Hannah's had to wait, you know. That's why

I said in verse twenty, say so it came to

pass in the process of time, you know. So there

was a time of waiting. You know, I don't know

for sure exactly how long she waited. Where there's one week,

one month, one year, I don't know, right, but there

was definitely a time of waiting. And even as we

are waiting, we can continue to trust the Lord. Remember

the promises you make at the altar. I want to

say this to us very important. So Hannah, when she prayed,

she prayed a promise to the Lord.

In fact, was a vow.

She said, Lord, if you give me give me a child,

not just any child, but the male child. Very specific,

give me a son, or give him to the Lord.

He'll be learned to the Lord forever. Something I want

to remind us remind us sometimes when we get emotional

in church, and you know when we get emotional even

with our dealings outside at work. You know, in our exams,

have you ever prayed this pay before God? If you

had me to pass this examer Some of you are laughing.

You know you know what's coming, right, Ah, Listen, I

think if you're honest, right, if I see you have neighbors,

pray this pray before half the hands go up, Lord,

if you help me to pass my exam, I will

feeling the blanks. Okay, someone will say, I willself youel

full time, serf you all my life. Good prayer to pray.

But friends, remember your prayers at the author because sometimes

when we are the prayers at that I want to

say to us that God remembers his partner. He does

his part. The question is never but whether God does

his part not. The questions whether we do our part

or not very important, very very important, because the Bible

reminds us, you know, do not swear or make an oath.

Let your yes be yes and your no we know

very clear. I agreeald to you later it's actually coming,

and so we have to persever it to the tough time.

Even during the time of waiting.

God has a purpose in every difficult and challenging time

that we face. You know again, as I told you,

I reminded there was the Lord who close handahs will,

and he is the one that will open it for

the glory of God. He is one who closed it,

and he is going to open it for his glory.

Men will plan their ways, but it is God who

will direct our steps.

Amen.

So first Tessedonums five sixteen to eighteen. I'm about to

close it, reminds us in First Thessalonians five sixteen to eighteen.

We joys.

Always pray without seizing in everything, gift thanks for this

is the will of God in Christ.

Jesus.

For you rejoice, always rejoice always. If you want to

look for a verse to remember to memorize two verses

and two words that you know the shorters a verse

in the Biberse.

I think Jesus webbed.

If you count the letters on Jesus webb is we

joyed always, not very right, quite shout at all? We

joice always first Tessedonums five sixteen. Rejoys. Always pray without

seizing in everything, Give thanks. This is the will of

God in Christ. Jesus for you.

So in the midst of waiting, all we can do

is surrender to him.

Just survender to him and rejoice, and to give thanks

to God because he has already heard our prayer. We

need to persevere on and not give up. James five,

verse seventeen. James five seven, so verse seven, so not seventeen.

James chapter five, verse seven. If you have a Bible,

want to turn to it. James is all the way

to the back New Testament. James chapter five, verse seven.

And I'm going to close with this. Therefore, be patient,

veteran until the coming of the Lord. See how the

farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting

patiently for it until it receives the early and letter reign.

You also be patient, establish your hearts, for the coming

of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against

one another, Fredreen, lest you be condemned. Behold, a judge

is standing at the door. My brethren. Take the prophets

who spoke in the name of the Lord as an

example of suffering and patience. Indeed, we count them blessed

to endure. You have heard of the perseverance of job.

This is job job in the Bible, you can read

it and seeing the end intended by the Lord, that

the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. Somebody say, amen,

he is very compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brethren,

do not swear either by heaven or by earth, or

with any other oath. But let your yes b s

and your no no lest you fall into judgment. So

be patient, be patient, and continue to persevere. The Bible

actually reminds us those who endure, those who persevere to

the end, will be saved. And so our life is

filled with moments like that, with times of perseverance, whereby

we will go to the ups and the downs. When

you're going to the good times, rejoice when you're going

to the tough times. Also rejoice because the Bible tells

us rejoice always because we know that God has a plan,

he has a purpose, He's working in and through us,

even during those tough times. In fact, can I suggest

you it's actually during those tough times that you get

to exercise your faith. Really, those other times you really

exercise your faith, and you know that your faith works

because you put a trust in God and you pray

with all your heart, and God hears you, and that

would give you confidence to take on bigger things in

your life that you never imagine you could. We grow

from strength for strength, glory to glory, one step at

a time. Amen, Praise the Lord. Going to write extremely

to come out even as I close. So Probb sixteen,

verse nine says, a man's heart plans his way, but

the Lord directs his steps. So in this story that

we see the Bible of a mother, I wrote it

as a mother of faith because she was not yet mother, no,

but yet she had so much faith. You know, Hannah,

mother of faith, who just really trusted in the Lord.

She knew that God was.

In control, God was over her life, and she could

just pray to the Lord. And after she had prayed,

she was no longer said, how many your works can

do that? I pray that even as you pray in

God's presence there is fullness of joy. They will no

longer be said, you know, will the problem be be

moved immediately? Not really, because, as I share with you

the testimony earlier in my job, I'm still in the

middle of the problem. But while I'm still going through it,

I'm still praising God, God, thank you. Thank you so much.

Give me the grace to finish all that I need to,

you know, And sometimes I ask myself, Lord, did we

make a mistake? Because this project my boss, and I

was one who tended for the project. And to be

very honest with you, for every project that we tender,

before I send the tender out, I will pray every

I never failed to pray for a singer of my

tender that we sent out. I said, God, you're the

God of the harvest, help us even as I send

the tender out and find projects, give us the wisdom,

give us path. But one of the things I praise God,

if this project is not meant for us right then

just close the door because we don't want to walk

in it.

If we don't want to walk in it.

My my big boss, who is a believer, it's very

wise in these kind of things. He will tell us,

you know, if it's no good, better not to do

because you get caught in it and trouble comes.

You know.

I think there's a scripture in ecclear sasts can go

find it. He talks about better one hand, no with quietness,

better than feel. And you have a lot of trouble

in life, you know that basically, don't take too much

that you cannot handle, because in the end you will

He will bite you back. And so in this project,

and I sit down and checked my boss, and we're like,

why did we take it? Like, did we make a mistake?

And maybe you ask God again, God, did we make

a mistake? Did you allow it to happen? Yeah, he

allowed it to happen. But we're goin to ask God. God,

even as we are any already, even if it was

a mistake, or even if you're allowed it to happen,

we ask now for your mercy. We ask for your mercy,

help us to endure, help us to finish it, finish.

It well, and God will be growing fed at the

end of the day.

And so maybe you're in that position you're not sure

whether a decision that you made was right or not.

I too, am in the middle of the decision. I'm

still asking myself. I'm not sure that we made a mistake.

By the middle of it, I say, God, have mercy,

have mercy, because you are very compassionate and very mercyful.

Avert to you just now.

So likewise, in the story of Hannah, we also don't

fully understand right, why Paniana, who was the more evil one,

had children but Hannah didn't have. But then you read

the scripture, we know that God was close the womb.

You can close it and you can open it again

because any of the day God we get all the glory.

Amen. God will get all the glory. Amen. Hallelujah.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

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this week is going to be a good week, a

hit for you. God bless