Sunday Sermon Summary – Nov 17 2024

DEALING WITH STRESS – Hannah
1 Samuel 1: 4-20
In this story of Hannah we learn useful lessons in dealing with stress.

1. Reasons
1 Samuel 1: 6
Hannah was put under great pressure by Eliana’s other wife who had sons and daughters. Hannah had no children. So, Penina constantly humiliated her. This put Hannah under tremendous stress. There are many things that can stress us; but we must be careful about what is stressing us. Sometimes we could be stressed out about things that are not even going to happen. We could be stress by things we would like to have but we don’t have. We could be stressed because we don’t have what others have. Those are pseudo stress.  We must relieve ourselves from them. Those are not worth stressing about. 

2.  Resolve
1 Samuel 1:9, 10

The Bible says that Penina frustrated Hannah constantly and made it bitter for her.  At last Hannah decided something. She decided to stop allowing Penina to bother her. She got up from her place and went to the altar of God. In our efforts to handle stress, the first ever thing we must do is to go to God.  The Lord knows what you are going through, and he also has a solution for your stress. We must just go into the arms of God. We have refuge in his presence. God says that he can make streams in the desert. He can turn our sorrow into joy.  He will be with his people when we walk through the fire and when we go through the floods.  We need to put our trust in our God alone. 

3.  Restoration
1 Samuel 1: 11

She made a request and a vow to God. She made a request that she wanted a male child. She made an oath that she will give him back to the house of God.  After she had prayed this prayer, she was never sad or stressed out again. She had given away all her stress to God to handle. 

When we begin a true restoration, God works on our behalf. The Bible says that God remembered Hannah. That is all she needed. God blessed her with a beautiful son.  After that God continued to bless her. Hannah was blessed with three more sons and two daughters.  (1 Samuel 2:21)

God can give us more than we ask or imagine. 

God calls us be victors not victims.  Amen!