tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65861000516437510962011-07-30T12:17:52.677-07:00Pastor Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369151590066885167noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586100051643751096.post-69046154224950660662010-10-27T12:55:00.000-07:002010-10-27T13:06:55.851-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tf5NtLq76QI/TMiF5F17suI/AAAAAAAAABc/2O2ccbrZfxc/s1600/hannah.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tf5NtLq76QI/TMiF5F17suI/AAAAAAAAABc/2O2ccbrZfxc/s320/hannah.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532819358092079842" border="0" /></a><br />Say your life’s wish is just outside of your grasp.<span style=""> </span>You yearn for it.<span style=""> </span>You long for it.<span style=""> </span>You pray to God until you’re face down in bitterness of soul.<span style=""> </span>You weep.<span style=""> </span>You pray.<span style=""> </span>Onlookers think something’s wrong.<span style=""> </span>Do they comfort you?<span style=""> </span>Nope!<span style=""> </span>They chastise you for living outside of the norm.<span style=""> </span>They call you a drunk.<span style=""> </span>Maybe a wimp.<span style=""> </span>Perhaps they even say God’s house is no place for such emotions.<span style=""> </span>What would you do? <p class="MsoNormal">In <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20samuel%201&amp;version=NIV"><i>1 Samuel chapter 1</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> Hannah is in a similar situation.<span style=""> </span>She’s face down in bitterness of soul.<span style=""> </span>She weeps.<span style=""> </span>She prays.<span style=""> </span>But she’s taken for a drunk!<span style=""> </span>Nevertheless, God hears Hannah’s prayer.<span style=""> </span>He hears Hannah’s vow to give her son to the service of the Lord.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">God heard.<span style=""> </span>God blessed.<span style=""> </span>God gave.<span style=""> </span>Hannah had a son, Samuel.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hannah’s story shows us an amazing, bizarre, maybe even neglectful reaction to a blessing.<span style=""> </span>Hannah gives her son over to the service of the Lord – at age 3!<span style=""> </span>He stays at the Tabernacle the Lord.<span style=""> </span>Hannah sees him once a year.<span style=""> </span>He works for the Lord.<span style=""> </span>He lives his whole life in the service of the Lord.<span style=""> </span>Hannah watches her son grow from a distance.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hannah called her son a blessing.<span style=""> </span>She saw him as a gift from the Lord.<span style=""> </span>Not a gift to have for her own purposes.<span style=""> </span>A gift from God.<span style=""> </span>A gift <i>to</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> her.<span style=""> </span>A gift to bless others.<span style=""> </span>And Samuel did just that!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the midst of our bitterness of soul… As we struggle with our life’s wish.<span style=""> </span>With our incompleteness.<span style=""> </span>With our imperfections.<span style=""> </span>God provides a blessing.<span style=""> </span>Jesus Christ.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">God hears.<span style=""> </span>God blesses.<span style=""> </span>God gives.<span style=""> </span>God sent His Son to live his whole life in the service of the Lord.<span style=""> </span>A blessing sent to us.<span style=""> </span>A blessing we seek to give to others.<span style=""> </span>A blessing that transforms how we view all we’ve been given.</p> <p class="MsoNoteLevel2">On the Journey,</p> <p class="MsoNoteLevel2">Pastor Mark</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6586100051643751096-6904615422495066066?l=emmausjourney.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Pastor Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369151590066885167noreply@blogger.com0