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“What's the purpose yaar? It's just time wasting and
meaningless.” I remember one of my friends telling this
some years ago about Sunday service. I was puzzled about
his views about Sunday worship service, and I asked him
the reason for such a conclusion in his life. Then he
told me about his disease relating to respiratory
system, which was troubling him for more than two years.
And even after sincere prayers he had not got any
healing. So my friend was almost blaming God that He did
not answer the prayers for his healing.
My friend got frustrated. This is not an isolated
incident. This kind of frustration is very common among
our youngsters nowadays. They are attending Sunday
services with an expectation that they would be healed
from their diseases and they would have a very happy
life. A desire to have a happy and healthy life is not
wrong. But why they become so frustrated after a few
days? Just because they didn't get the answer to their
prayers or healing very soon, why do they give up so
fast? Do you think they don't have strong faith in God
to receive their healing? But there is a secret in
receiving answers from God! The secret lies in one's
response to the Word of God. One has to not only hear
God's Word or preaching, but has to do certain things
and take decisions according to the Word of God.
Do you know what happened in the case of Hannah, the
mother of Prophet Samuel of the Old Testament? She was
rejected and ridiculed by all her relatives. As the
Bible says in 1 Samuel 1:2,”And he had two wives. The
name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other was
Penninah. Penninah had children, but Hannah had no
child. In 1 Samuel 1:6-7 we can see, ”And her rival also
provoked her severely to make her miserable, because the
Lord has 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. And because of that
reason she has taken a vow in the temple of God: (1
Samuel 1:11) “Then she made a vow and said, O Lord of
hosts, if you will indeed look on the affection of your
maidservant and remember me, and not forget your
maidservant, but will give you 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”. Surely, it was a real
plan of God.
Do you think it was just a vow taken by Hannah in order
to have a child? No, I will not agree to that. I think
it was God's plan that Hannah should give birth to a son
after a long wait and prayer, so that he would become a
great prophet of God. For this plan to be accomplished
she has to take a vow before the Lord. And so we can see
in the latter verses that the Lord remembered her, and
her vows, and had given a son. (1 Samuel 1:19)
”Then they rose early in the morning and worshipped
before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at
Ramah. And Elkana knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord
remembered her.” But she didn't forget the vow taken by
her, when the Lord did a miracle in her life. That we
can see in 1 Samuel 1:24, “Now she had weaned him, she
took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of
flour, and a skin of wine, and brought to him to the
house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the child was young .”
And she lent him to the Lord as long as he lives.
Dear friends, you may go to all Sunday services
earnestly and regularly. But you are disappointed after
a few days, even if you have been leading a holy life.
What is the reason behind it? As in the above story, I
have to say one thing that you have to take a vow like
Hannah. It was God's plan for Hannah to go through
various frustrations, from her own relatives, in order
to prepare her to take a vow like that. Then only,
Samuel, known as “Prophet of the Lord“ could be born,
and the promise of the Lord to Hannah, could come to
pass.
And so, in order to have a change in your life you must
also take a decision in your life. Then only you will
see how the Lord does marvellous things in your life.
Because the Lord has some purpose with everyone and He
will not allow you to sink in the sea of frustrations.
As the Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11, ”For I know the
thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future
and a hope.” So let us prayerfully take decisions which
are pleasing to the Lord in our lives. May God bless
you!
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