Bitterness TURNED To Joy

"And Hannah was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish 1 Sam. 1:10."

I recently finished studying 1 Samual. As I reflect on the characters I relate so much to Hannah. Hannah was married to Elkanah who loved her but he could not give her what she desired. She was sorrowful in soul because the Lord had shut her womb and she had no children. To make matters more difficult Elkanah had another wife Peninnah who had children and she provoked Hannah severely. Her constant taunting drove Hannah to depression.

When she was falsely accused of being drunk while pouring her heart out in fervant prayer to God, I love how she owned her pain and did not deny it before Him. She said, "I am a woman of sorrowful spirit v15." Day after day she lived with this grief in her heart and yet her devotion to the Lord in her sorrow was evident and did not waver as she made the annual treks to Shiloh to worship God.


There was only One that she could TURN to who could answer and give her the desire of her heart. The Lord-Johovah-sabaoth. When she shared her petition with the priest, he said to her "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition v17." She went her way, her face no longer sad and the Lord answered her petition and she bore a child Samuel which she dedicated to the Lord to be His forever.


I can so personally relate to Hannah as Michael and I have had 4 miscarriages after Josh was born. I ran from my pain and denied it initially. I didn't think I did. I thought I had grieved and poured out my heart to God only to come to realize a few years later that I had been carrying bitterness in my heart from those losses and from pain in my teens and early 20's which I had not fully accepted nor surrendered. Suffering severely with bi-polar which I kept hidden from most people fearing their rejection and lack of acceptance if they really knew the truth about me. I covered it up by trying to appear perfect and performing for their approval. What an exhaustion. All the while I was seeking the Lord and never turned from Him but the Lord was driving me to a place of death and full admittance and full exposure which I feared. I couldn't run from the truth any longer. I stood and said "Yes, Lord I am bitter about my circumstances. I am bitter and broken and in agony of pain before You. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DELIVER ME FROM MY SORROW AND PAIN!"


Bitterness is a progression, as I learned, by God's design even though I fought it. Heb 12:15 says, "look carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by this many become defiled." My root of bitterness was etched in years before I accepted Jesus as my Savior. As the Lord sanctyfies me He shows me my heart and what is there. It didn't matter the circumstances that he used, they are different for each one of us, only He knows the instruments needed to perform the heart surgury necessary. The wretchedness that He is purifying and purging. Repentance is agreeing with God about what is there and TURNING to Him and His word for cleansing and healing. It is the truth that sets us free not cover up for self preservation. To often instead of TURNING to God we run. We run from marriages, from our jobs, from relationships and from our churches. We blame others, put others down while raising ourself up, we stand in our accomplishments and our wealth and religiously work to deny our hurt refusing to acknowledge idol worship and give Christ Lordship over our situation in faith.


The problem begins when we don't think He Sees our situation. If He did how could He possible allow it to continue. Instead of dying to self we rely on false refuges rather than TURNING to the only True Reliable Deliverer- Jehovah-sabaoth. We don't believe HE is bigger and stronger. He is. When there is no other recourse for deliverance and we find ourself powerless and there is no other help, we can run to our Jehovah-sabaoth. He is the One who delivers and the One who judges. He leads us to the place where our knees are continually bowed before Him. God is not pleased when we honor Him with our lips and not with our lives. He is the strong tower- the RIGHTEOUS run into it and is safe.

Hannah was righteous in her heart and the Lord heard her cry. He turned her bitterness to joy! She was misunderstood, she had no where else to go and was provoked continually. Her strength was in God as she said, "My heart rejoices in the Lord, there is no One Holy like You, there is no other Rock like our God 1Sam 2:1-2." From this time on she had Holy confidence in her God and Deliverer. She smiled at her enemies they had no power over her!

Surrendering my bitterness and acknowledging it before the Lord has brought a freedom, peace and joy to my own heart. Jesus has given me contentment and His love and His Presense satisfies my heart completely. There is no other place that I long to be then at His feet worshiping Him. Thank you Jesus! I still experience disappointment but I know my God and trust that He Sees and knows what is best and that He alone is the "safe place" to run.

Has the Lord brought your life and circumstances to a place where only He can deliver you? TURN to Jesus and pour out your heart to Him. He alone saves and is waiting with open arms to deliver and comfort you with Himself.

False Prophets and Empty Oracles

Jesus said "many false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible even the elect. Mark 13:22." In a day where we are inundated with teachers, we have to be so careful not to follow teachers whose doctrine does not line up with the word of God but lead many astray. In Jeremiah 23, we learn how to determine a true and false prophet. V. 16-17 says "The false prophets speak a word from their own heart, Not from the mouth of the Lord...they walk according to the dictates of their own heart." V 21-22 says "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, and had caused my people to hear My words, then they would have TURNED them from their wicked ways and from their evil doings." Nelson's commentary explains, "The false prophets proclaimed a false hope of peace and security. They lack true knowledge and a word from God, the false prophets repeated false hopes and twisted God's words. The false prophet turned God's word to their own desired benefit." "A true prophet must be sent by God with a word from God. A true prophet of God calls people to repentance of sin or evil and to renewed faith." False teachers usurp the way of death to self and lead people after themselves. They lead others wickedly after themselves and do not teach them the way of repentance. They sow discord and are fleshly, concerned and led by popularity and position rather than being genuine servants of Christ through death to self. When we genuinely love we will speak the truth as we have lived that truth through suffering for Christ.

The culture today bombards us with a barage of methods to self-preserve. Self-help books, fortune-telling, and religion bandaid the heart where the real issues are. To Fight this deception we need to study God's word and come together corporately as a church to learn the ways of God verses the counterfiet.

"Unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it remains alone, but if it dies it brings forth much fruit. John 12:24" Lord give us discernment regarding the teachers we follow, that their message and life points to the cross of Christ.