Short Series: From sad to glad | Hannah’s story

Here there BCU Family!

I typically record our content in an informal “podcast on the go” format, and other times, like today, it is in more of a “studio” format. In any case, you can access the podcast here, or click on the avatar below, as you refer to the show notes below for the highlights. We pray the content blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the podcast!

Podcast highlights:

  • When we were together last time, we started talking about Hannah from 1 Samuel 1.
  • Like many of us, Hannah wrestled with sorrow, ridicule and disappointment around her unfulfilled desire.
  • When faced with a situation, our natural inclination is to do all we can in our finite power.
  • Once Hannah poured her heart out to the Lord, she received the confirmation that her prayer was answered.
  • Many of us currently have impossible situations. Have we taken them to the Lord in prayer?

KJV Scripture References

I Samuel 1:10-28

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.

13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.

16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.

20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.

21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever.

23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.

25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.

27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.

BCUFam, as much as Hannah’s husband loved and took good care of her, only the Lord could comfort and assure her. I LOVE that once Hannah prayed and got the confirmation from the Lord, her face and appetite changed from sad to glad! That is a message for us to take our situations to the Lord in prayer. He may not always answer the way we think He should, but He will let us know He heard us, settle our hearts about the matter, and will answer according to His will and way. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for Your enduring Word. Many of us have prayer requests we are waiting for an answer to—-regarding our jobs, family members, healing, spouses, finances, salvation, deliverance….Lord, You know what we are crying, fretting and petitioning You for, so we cast our cares on You because You care for us (I Peter 5:7). We look to You to assure us You have heard our cry and will answer one way, or another by and by.

In the meantime, we thank You, Jesus for renewing our strength, and taking us from a sad to a joyful heart as we continue to faithfully serve You. In Jesus name we pray and bless Your Name, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

BlenCouragesU1 Comment

Short Series: Introduction to Hannah

Here there BCU Family!

I typically record our content in an informal “podcast on the go” format, and other times, like today, it is in more of a “studio” format. In any case, you can access the podcast here, or click on the avatar below, as you refer to the show notes below for the highlights. We pray the content blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the podcast!

Podcast highlights:

  • Some time ago, I was tasked to teach Tuesday night Bible study for our church.
  • The topic the Lord gave me concerned Hannah, wife of Elkanah, who desired to be a mother.
  • Like many of us, Hannah wrestled with sorrow, ridicule and disappointment around her unfulfilled desire.
  • In our difficult times, crying out to the Lord is the only way to stabilize our hearts and minds as we await further instruction.

KJV Scripture References

I Samuel 1:1-10

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:

5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.

6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.

7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?

9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

BCUFam, one point that stood out to me was that for years, this heavy situation coupled with her nemesis, Peninnah provoked Hannah to the point of tears before she went to the Lord in prayer. Oh, I can recall many situations where I leaned to my own understanding prior to praying. But once we commit the situation to God and get His assurance, (and we will see in our next podcast), our countenance and/or circumstances change. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for reminding us to take every situation, circumstance, enemy, provocation, stress and tear to YOU in prayer. Psalm 37:23 reminds us that the steps of the righteous are ordered by You, so while what we are experiencing is not a surprise to You, we are relying on You for strength, guidance, and to remove the bitterness of soul that many of us are currently facing. Thank You for hearing our cry and the assurance that You are with us in our time of uncertainty, as we continue to praise and thank Your Holy name, in Jesus name we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

BlenCouragesU2 Comments

[Happy] Holidays…

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • As of this post, we are in the beginning of December, and the holiday season is in full swing.
  • For many, this is a time to gather and celebrate with one another, especially friends and family.
  • For others, this time of year is difficult as they grieve the loss of their loved ones.
  • Years ago, through a conversation, the Lord taught me a lesson on having compassion and understanding for those who are heavy-hearted right now.

Scripture references

Ruth 1:19-21

19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

21 I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

Proverbs 25:20

As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

Proverbs 12:25

Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.

Job 2:11-13

11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

Isaiah 50:4

The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

BCUFam, we are human, and the death of our loved ones HURTS! And it’s natural to miss their physical presence, especially at certain times of the year. Now, it is hard to watch someone grieve––and it is also natural and CORRECT to want to comfort the person. God knows what you should say (if anything), and will lead you accordingly if you ask. Proverbs 25:11 says, “a word spoken fitly is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” When you think of what a stunning vision that is, how awesome would it be to speak that way? Ask God how. And know that sometimes, just a listening ear, a quiet shoulder, or just your silent presence can speak volumes. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, as we come before You today, as always, we give Your name praise, glory and honor. We come to You with uplifted hands, and thank You for Your goodness and mercy that You have extended to us up until this present time. Lord, we want to be aware of those around us who may be grieving or feeling the loss of a loved one. Please help us to be sensitive and compassionate in our words and actions, so that the people we interact with may be comforted, encouraged, and that You will be glorified.

For those of us who are feeling the loss of someone, it is my prayer that You will speak to every broken and hurting heart, as Psalms 51:17 reminds us—-You are near to those who are broken-hearted and save those who are of a contrite spirit. Because, Jesus, You are a present help, because You are ever-present, because You understand our grief, we thank You for being a tear-drier, a comforter, and for wrapping Your arms around us today, so we feel Your presence and are strengthened, in the name of Jesus. For those who may not know You in the pardoning of their sins, those who may be choosing harmful methods to dull the pain of grief, we pray that You will speak to their hearts, so they will ask, “what must I do to be saved?”

We thank You for helping us to be good helpers to one another as we represent You, Lord! In Jesus name, we pray, Amen.

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by. God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

Please click here for a resource to assist you through the grieving process.

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