Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Don't Curse Your Blessings!


12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

15 “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. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.


1 Samuel 1:12-17



Hannah, a woman of God and one of the two wives of Elkanah was grieved to her heart that she could not bare a child and lived under constant harassment by Peninnah (the other wife) for being barren. Peninnah had bore Elkanah several children and he provided for her and their children, but he provided Hannah a double portion, because he loved her, but he just couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that inspite of his goodness and love for her, she was still disappointed because she wanted a baby. She went to the temple to pour her heart out before the Lord and the High Priest Eli, who is listed in the Talmud as a prophet, saw her posturing and praying, but because he saw her lips moving and did not hear a sound, he thought she was drunk with wine. He approached her and asked her, "how long will you be drunk with wine," and she quickly told him that she was not drunk but filled with anguish and grief. Now, I can take this bit of history in several directions, but I want to come from the viewpoint of her response and his position.


Hannah quickly responded to the High Priest that she was grieving and not drunk to the man and prophet of God, without allowing the spirit of offense to take over. She was in a place with God as she spilled her guts out to her Father in pain and she thought in a safe place to do so, because she had gone to the temple where the man of God served to seek solace and peace as she made her requests known before God. Remember, this woman was teased and harassed by the other wife and had a husband who definitely loved her, but couldn't understand why she was so pained since he was good to her. The enemy could have used this opportunity to make Hannah a bitter woman, never to trust prophets nor the temple again, for where could she possibly go and receive mercy? The prophet of God had falsely accused her of being a low life drunk in the temple of God! The man of God, the High Priest Eli, had got it all wrong and gave her a false prophetic rebuke in the midst of her heartache. Where did he get his license or his training? Who told him that he was God's mouthpiece; certainly he could not have been anointed nor called by the Most High to not have been able to judge what spirit she was under. She could have screamed, "I will never return to this temple again because you offended me."


The sad thing about today is that there is such a misunderstanding about God's true prophets regarding what comes out of their mouths. The enemy would love to discredit every true prophets as false because they may have rashly spoken to someone and missed the whole memo. Let's face it; the High Priest Prophet Eli totally missed it. This woman was not drunk, she was grieving and in despair! She needed a word from the Lord, not a false rebuke. The man of God couldn't tell that she was praying in the spirit and not just talking to herself under the influence of alcohol. He really was saying to her, "woman, how you gone come up in here; to the temple high as a kite and disrespect the house of God and how long are you going to keep drinking wine or smoking weed, with your out of control self and much nerve, step in the temple before the Lord expecting something? You got a lot of nerve." Let's face it, Eli flat footed missed it! He misjudged and falsely accused this woman, but when he was corrected by her, he relinquished his position and blessed her. He didn't get mad because she corrected the "man of God." He corrected himself and he didn't spend all afternoon repenting to her and explaining his position as to why he thought she was drunk; he simply spoke a blessing over her and God answered her prayers and his decree!


I just don't know if it can happen that way today because we are pattycaking wounded Chrisitans all day long about being offended. We have seminars on wounded women and we throw so much oil on them that they can slide down the aisle or we make apologies for what have been said over the years and don't speak a blessing over their lives to bring them to an expected end, as they leave our pulpits empty and stressed, not receiving what they came for.


Prophets, take heed, when you miss it, bless the person. I personally think that the High Priest/Prophet Eli should have apologized, but it is what it is, he didn't; but what he did do to bless her was off the hook, for his authority in God caused God to move on her behalf. He spoke to her circumstances and God moved. She told the man of God after he blessed her that she would bring this baby back to him after he was weaned from the breast and she kept her promise. The man of God spoke again and she gave birth to five other children as God filled her quiver and her heart's desire.

Child of God, fight against the spirit of offense in your life. The very place where God want to bless and deliver you, is the very place that the enemy will try to cause you to become offended. If Hannah had become offended and spoke against Eli and left the temple in a rage of anger and offense (she had the right to do so), I don't think this story would have had the same ending. For one thing, her son would not have been taken back to the temple, nor trained under the High Priest/Prophet and last Judge of Israel Eli, who was to become the child's mentor and spiritual instructor, for we know the end of the story, Samuel became an awesome Prophet of God as he learned to pray and hear from God under Eli's covering. Make sure that the enemy is not able to snare and rob you of your destiny by shooting the arrow of offense. Hannah was in a win/win situation because she was under the influence of the Spirit of God who granted her what she wanted and more, because her attitude was right. Your blessing is right around the corner if you wait on the Lord and not allow this destiny stealer of offense to rule over you. Remember, resist the Devil and he will flee; draw near to God and He will draw near to you. When the enemy of offense comes your way, counteract the offense with praise to cause the enemy to flee your mind.

May God cover your heart from the Spirit of Offense as you walk in the fruit of the Spirit to quickly forgive others who offend you and focus your ears to the heartbeat of Christ and the Word of God. Be exceedingly blessed in this season of self examination.

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