(Second part)
Memory verse: (1sam1:9-11) " So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the LORD. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head "
Hannah wrote her own history upon the pages of eternity by making a decision none had ever made since creation. Even with Abraham, it was God who asked him to offer Isaac. But this great woman, made up her own mind, She made a vow to God, " if you give me a son, I’ll give him back to you forever! " Great decisions make small people great! The choices you make in life will determine your destiny. Your life will be changed by what you’re willing to surrender. Perhaps Hannah would have gone right to her grave a barren woman, miserable, broken and humiliated. But Hannah put on her boots of warfare; she engaged in one of the greatest bible recorded spiritual warfare and conquered. She came out of the battleground not confused about what to do with what God would give her.
Samuel came, she took him and surrendered him to God forever. She put her hands off him forever. This changed her status forever. God took up the life of Samuel and changed it and produced out him one of the greatest prophets Israel has ever seen. He was a prophet and a judge. God used him to bring good leadership in Israel, he anointed kings, David and Saul, he brought peace in Israel, knowledge and fear of God, He’s one of the leaders of Israel who started well and finished well. Greatness is not the ability to pray and receive what God promised, but to pray until you have surrendered to God everything he has given to you. The greatest battle is not to receive but to give what we receive from God. Hannah got other three sons and two daughters. She didn’t give these to God but she owned them. Nothing is known about them, not even their names. They lived common lives and died common death and left nothing to remember behind them. Where you put your life will determine what legacy you will leave behind. Living an unsurrendered life is living a wasted life!
Tomorrow we will learn about ‘What God can do with a surrendered life’
