Embracing God's Design: Lessons from Hannah's Faith
Summary
### Summary
Today marks the beginning of our new sermon series, "Living After God's Own Heart," where we delve into the life of David as depicted in the book of 1 Samuel. To understand David, we must first understand Samuel, the prophet who anointed him. Samuel's story begins with his mother, Hannah, whose life was marked by deep sorrow and profound faith. Hannah's story teaches us three key truths: we are designed by the Lord, we will be directed to the Lord, and we are dedicated to the Lord.
Hannah's life was a testament to God's intricate design. Despite her inability to bear children, which was a significant source of grief, the Bible clearly states that the Lord had closed her womb. This was not an accident but a deliberate act by God, emphasizing that every aspect of our lives, including our struggles, is part of His divine plan.
Hannah's sorrow directed her to the Lord. Her deep anguish and the provocation from her rival, Penina, led her to pour out her soul before God in prayer. This moment of raw, heartfelt prayer was a turning point in her life, demonstrating that our trials can lead us to a deeper relationship with God.
Finally, Hannah's story illustrates our dedication to the Lord. When God answered her prayer and gave her a son, Samuel, she fulfilled her vow by dedicating him to the Lord's service. This act of faith and obedience shows that our lives, too, are meant to be dedicated to God, reflecting His glory in all that we do.
### Key Takeaways
1. Designed by the Lord: Our lives are intricately designed by God. Every detail, including our struggles and limitations, is part of His divine plan. This truth challenges us to see our lives through the lens of God's sovereignty, recognizing that we are fearfully and wonderfully made for His purposes. [12:30]
2. Directed to the Lord: Our trials and tribulations are not without purpose. They are often the very means by which God directs us to Himself. Hannah's deep sorrow led her to a place of heartfelt prayer and dependence on God, teaching us that our struggles can deepen our faith and draw us closer to Him. [19:22]
3. Dedicated to the Lord: Our lives are meant to be dedicated to God. Just as Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord, we are called to offer our lives as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This dedication is a response to God's faithfulness and a reflection of our commitment to His will. [36:50]
4. The Role of Grief in Spiritual Growth: Grief and sorrow are not to be shunned but embraced as tools that God uses to shape us. Hannah's story shows that through her sorrow, she learned to pray deeply and authentically, finding joy and strength in her relationship with God. [34:04]
5. Authentic Faith and Obedience: True faith is demonstrated through obedience and sacrifice. Hannah's willingness to give Samuel back to the Lord after receiving him as an answer to her prayers is a powerful example of living out our faith with integrity and trust in God's plan. [38:21]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:24] - Introduction to 1 Samuel
[02:34] - Understanding David through Samuel
[03:34] - Old Testament and New Testament Connection
[04:23] - Series Purpose: Living After God's Own Heart
[05:16] - David: A Man After God's Own Heart
[06:23] - Knowing That God Created You
[09:28] - The Lord Closed Hannah's Womb
[12:30] - Designed by the Lord
[14:14] - Biblical Passages on God's Design
[19:22] - Directed to the Lord
[22:21] - Hannah's Struggles and Faith
[28:01] - Hannah: A Woman of Grace
[31:05] - The Purpose of Grief
[34:04] - Embracing Grief for Spiritual Growth
[36:50] - Dedicated to the Lord
[38:21] - Hannah's Faith and Obedience
[41:33] - Living Under Christ's Lordship
[43:40] - Call to Dedication and Salvation
[45:23] - Assurance of Salvation
[47:08] - Commitment to Christ
[48:53] - Closing Prayer and Benediction
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1 Samuel 1:1-28
### Observation Questions
1. What were the key struggles that Hannah faced in her life as described in 1 Samuel 1? ([09:28])
2. How did Hannah respond to her deep sorrow and provocation from Penina? ([19:22])
3. What vow did Hannah make to the Lord if He granted her a son? ([20:59])
4. How did Hannah fulfill her vow to the Lord after Samuel was born? ([36:50])
### Interpretation Questions
1. What does Hannah's story teach us about God's sovereignty in our personal struggles and limitations? ([09:28])
2. How can Hannah's heartfelt prayer and dependence on God during her trials serve as a model for our own prayer life? ([19:22])
3. In what ways does Hannah's dedication of Samuel to the Lord reflect true faith and obedience? ([36:50])
4. How does the role of grief in Hannah's life contribute to her spiritual growth and relationship with God? ([34:04])
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you faced a significant struggle. How did you see God's hand in that situation, and how did it direct you closer to Him? ([09:28])
2. Hannah poured out her soul to God in prayer during her deepest sorrow. How can you incorporate more heartfelt and honest prayers into your daily life? ([19:22])
3. Hannah made a vow to dedicate her son to the Lord and fulfilled it. Is there something in your life that you feel called to dedicate to God? What steps can you take to fulfill that dedication? ([36:50])
4. Grief and sorrow played a significant role in Hannah's spiritual journey. How can you embrace your own grief as a tool for spiritual growth rather than something to avoid? ([34:04])
5. Hannah's faith and obedience were evident in her actions. What are some practical ways you can demonstrate your faith through obedience and sacrifice in your daily life? ([38:21])
6. Consider the people in your life who may be experiencing deep sorrow or grief. How can you support them in a way that directs them to a deeper relationship with God? ([22:21])
7. Reflect on the concept of being "designed by the Lord." How does this truth impact your view of your own life and purpose? ([12:30])
Devotional
Day 1: Designed by the Lord
Description: Our lives are intricately designed by God. Every detail, including our struggles and limitations, is part of His divine plan. This truth challenges us to see our lives through the lens of God's sovereignty, recognizing that we are fearfully and wonderfully made for His purposes. Hannah's story in 1 Samuel illustrates this beautifully. Despite her inability to bear children, which was a significant source of grief, the Bible clearly states that the Lord had closed her womb. This was not an accident but a deliberate act by God, emphasizing that every aspect of our lives, including our struggles, is part of His divine plan. [12:30]
Psalm 139:13-14 (ESV): "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."
Reflection: Think about a struggle or limitation you are currently facing. How can you see this as part of God's intricate design for your life? What steps can you take to trust in His sovereignty today?
Day 2: Directed to the Lord
Description: Our trials and tribulations are not without purpose. They are often the very means by which God directs us to Himself. Hannah's deep sorrow led her to a place of heartfelt prayer and dependence on God, teaching us that our struggles can deepen our faith and draw us closer to Him. Her anguish and the provocation from her rival, Penina, led her to pour out her soul before God in prayer. This moment of raw, heartfelt prayer was a turning point in her life, demonstrating that our trials can lead us to a deeper relationship with God. [19:22]
2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (ESV): "For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent trial or challenge you have faced. How did it direct you to rely more on God? What can you do today to deepen your dependence on Him in the midst of your struggles?
Day 3: Dedicated to the Lord
Description: Our lives are meant to be dedicated to God. Just as Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord, we are called to offer our lives as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This dedication is a response to God's faithfulness and a reflection of our commitment to His will. When God answered Hannah's prayer and gave her a son, Samuel, she fulfilled her vow by dedicating him to the Lord's service. This act of faith and obedience shows that our lives, too, are meant to be dedicated to God, reflecting His glory in all that we do. [36:50]
Romans 12:1 (ESV): "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
Reflection: Consider an area of your life that you have not fully dedicated to God. What steps can you take today to offer this part of your life as a living sacrifice to Him?
Day 4: The Role of Grief in Spiritual Growth
Description: Grief and sorrow are not to be shunned but embraced as tools that God uses to shape us. Hannah's story shows that through her sorrow, she learned to pray deeply and authentically, finding joy and strength in her relationship with God. Her deep anguish and heartfelt prayers were a turning point in her spiritual journey, demonstrating that our trials can lead us to a deeper relationship with God. Embracing grief can lead to spiritual growth and a more profound dependence on God. [34:04]
James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Reflection: Think about a time when you experienced deep grief or sorrow. How did it impact your relationship with God? What can you do today to embrace your current struggles as opportunities for spiritual growth?
Day 5: Authentic Faith and Obedience
Description: True faith is demonstrated through obedience and sacrifice. Hannah's willingness to give Samuel back to the Lord after receiving him as an answer to her prayers is a powerful example of living out our faith with integrity and trust in God's plan. Her act of faith and obedience shows that our lives, too, are meant to be dedicated to God, reflecting His glory in all that we do. Authentic faith involves trusting God completely and being willing to make sacrifices in obedience to His will. [38:21]
1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV): "And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.'"
Reflection: Reflect on a recent decision or action where you had to choose between obedience to God and your own desires. How did you respond? What can you do today to demonstrate authentic faith through obedience and sacrifice?
Quotes
1. "David was a human. He was not superhuman. He was not Superman. He was not any supernatural powers. He was as much human as you and I was. And yet God calls him a man, a human, a person. After his own heart, the David sin was the holy far from it. He had bit sense that we're going to be looking at a horrific sense. Did he have problems? Absolutely. And did he was he affected by the same stress and anxiety as you and I would have in this life? 100% you can read his poet poems that are called the book of Psalms. And you'll see all the emotions that are on full display for us to read." [05:16] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "That means that you and I in our sinful estate and our brokenness can find the way like David did and find a pace and find a walk with the Lord for we are to be able to live after God's own heart. And that's kind of where the sermon series statement comes from. And again, I hope that's going to be a blessing to you as we go through." [06:23] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The Bible is very clear that our bodies our lives the problems that we have the ailments that we suffer the ailments that we need a physical therapist to help us with or a or a gym coach twice a week to help us with are all designed. By the Lord these are not things that are accident these are not things that just so happen to be a case we understand the world nature we understand the medical side of these things but from a spiritual standpoint we can say that you and I are intrinsically detailed designed by our creator." [09:28] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The Lord designed you, take comfort in The Lord designed you. You. This can apply to a myriad of world problems that we see today, and things that we see in our own life. You know, through, especially in the Western world, America, the church is continually celebrating and combating the sanctity of life. Why is that an issue that is important for us? Why is it that's not necessarily a political issue, it's a biblical issue? Because from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we see, and we do prolifically exclaim, that the Lord is pro-life, the Lord is over life, the Lord is through life, because the Bible tells us that the Lord designed you." [15:55] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "You are here for a purpose. Every lie that comes from Satan in this world that wants to minimize our value of life, the Bible stands firm on and says the Lord designed you. It is the, it's a prolific truth from Genesis to Revelation. All fall flat to this biblical truth, that our lives are intentionally, deliberately, and specifically designed, designed, and permitted by the Lord God, Jesus Christ, our Savior." [17:32] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Hannah was designed by the Lord. Nobody can question that. Nobody can say, well, yeah, but it does in verse number five and verse number six and continuing, the Lord had a specific intention in Hannah's life. He was responsible for her not being able to have children. And so Hannah shows, even though they were designed by the Lord, even though she was a devout servant of the Lord, we will still have not just struggles, but deep." [22:21] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "Hannah's trials gave her immense grief, and in her grief, she was forced to be directed to the Lord, a plea for his grace, to the effect that her faith had grown in the Lord as she deepened her prayer life in dependence on God. And this is the catch here. You say, why did the Lord close her womb? Because the Lord had closed her womb for this moment, for her faith to grow, in the Lord. You say, that's not fair. We're not God. God's chiefest paramount purpose for you and I is to have a relationship with him. Everything else comes second." [31:05] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "Grief then is but another tool in our life, to which God will use to direct us to him. So then, my friends, I would argue with you, I would challenge with you, let us not then abandon ourselves from grief. Too often in America, especially, we don't want to recognize grief. We want to put it under the rug. We don't want to talk about it. We don't want to seek counseling. We want to, you know, take medicine, whatever. We want to abandon grief in any way we can. If Hannah would have done that, she would have never found the Lord if she tried to hide her grief. In fact, actually, Hannah took her grief and she pursued God in it." [34:04] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "Hannah's faith had grown to the point of authenticity. She fulfilled her vow with true worship to God and sacrifice, in vow and in action. I'm amazed at her because I don't think I should say the same. My faith, I don't know, my faith, in my personal faith, having been given a child, seemed to have an answered prayer, would I be able to give back? So this is my flesh and blood, but truly it is the Lord's. How often do you and I pray, I wonder? And when we get an answered prayer, we go back to idleness. We only go to the Lord when we need something, say, Lord, Lord, remember me! And when he does, and he blesses you, and he answers your prayer, you go back to the idleness of this world, until you need him again." [38:21] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "If we are then designed by the Lord, then those of us who have been directed here today to hear the words of God spoken will assuredly know now that your life is meant today to be dedicated to him in acceptance of salvation and lordship in Jesus Christ." [41:33] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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