From Barren to Plenty

Hannah!

◦ Struggles with Barrenness: she was in a winter season-barrenness:

Hannah was deeply distressed by her inability to have children, especially

because Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, had several children and often

taunted her.

◦ All of us in life have lived a barren experience.

◦ Patterns of seasons. You need to acknowledge with God what season

you’re in. You’re not going to dress like summer while in winter.

◦ Winter is a season of barrenness.

◦ I Samuel 1:1-15 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from

the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham,the son

of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Year after year this man went up from his town to worship andsacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons? ”Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s house. In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD.

◦ Hannah is in a barren place!

◦ Sometimes you feel like you are always winter. Financial Struggles,

Children Struggles, Job Loss, Health battle, Loss of love one.

◦ When is the winter going to end?

◦ Look at the landscape of Hannah and her surroundings:

◦ Her self-worth was under attacked! The pressure was real. No children to

work for her and carry on the lineage.

◦ The fault was always on the woman. Because of this, she was looked

down on.

◦ The self worth is HIS identity not about ME or who I am or something else

like a job, title, friends, social medial!

◦ Philippians 1:20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be

ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be

exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

◦ She also had strenuous relationships and 2 were in her home! When the

winter can’t be shut out, the winter is in the home: Husband and Peninnah.

◦ She shared a home with a man who loves her but doesn’t understand her.

◦ Nothing worse than not being understood.

◦ His love wasn’t enough. BUT No human love is enough! Only the Love of

Jesus!

◦ Her husband thought he fixed the situation and married another woman

to have children, but this woman harassed Hannah. Peninnah provoked her.

◦ But know…Hannah had a Peninnah put in her life just so God can do

something great!

◦ James 3:16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find

disorder and every evil practice.

◦ Know when you are in your winter season that you will have a source of

support and a source of division. You need to know the difference!!!

✓ In the winter season, KNOW when you make up your mind to be around

other Christians/ Church/ Connect groups/ Bible Studies… you will be

attacked! The enemy doesn’t want you to be around that encouragement.

◦ Where His presence is there then There will be healing!

◦ Year 1, then year 2, then year 3…the support system fades, other support

systems will slow down in your life.

✓ It’s not about how you feel but who He is!

◦ Get out of the victim mentality so whether it’s spring or winter you will

and can Praise Him! It comes from the depths of you!!!

◦ Honestly, It’s not difficult to stay connected but know that the enemy

wants to keep you from that!

✓ Hannah = Favored One (Hannah’s name is fitting given the grace she both

sought and received in her life, particularly in the form of her son Samuel.)

◦ Why? How do you deal when it’s God that allows pain? Know…Sometimes

God has to break you to make you! This is what God can work with.

◦ She was at a feast of tabernacles and showed up and pretended to be

joyful while sitting across from Peninnah…who has been criticizing her.

◦ Do I have to be joyful during these times of suffering??? YES YOU DO!

Heaven is rejoicing at the Feast of Tabernacle. SPRING IS COMING. Praise Him

through the rough the circumstance.

◦ Hannah said enough was enough! She stopped worrying about what

others thought of her and prayed. She knew the call and then surrendered her

desires. God if you give me a child I will give him back. She was desperate for THE PURPOSE OF GOD! She doesn’t want just a child but a child she can give

back God! She was a woman that was desperate and surrendered it all.

✓ BUT THEN..She got up and ate and changed the pattern. She was no longer

the victim.

◦ She got home and became intimate because the promise was in the

making!

◦ God has a promise in each of us.

◦ The breakthrough is coming.

◦ The weeping will be for a winter but your spring is coming. Life is coming.

✓ Your scars can be your bitterness or it can be your witness.

◦ God will remember you and He will put you back together. Your winter is

NOT your bitterness but it will be your witness.

✓ Get a Hannah mentality and say that you’re going after it and changing the

pattern!