Have You Had Enough? It’S Time To Stand Up!

( I Samuel 1:9) “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.â€



Have you ever been in place or maybe you are there now. A place in which the enemy has come at you for so long and so hard that the anguish in your soul is so much you cry out, “I have had enough!†In I Samuel 1 it opens with the story of Hannah. Her husband was Elkanah and he was also married to Peninnah. Peninnah had two sons by Elkanah but Hannah was barren. The Lord had closed her womb and in the story it does not give us a reason only that the Lord had closed it. In those times giving your husband sons to carry on the family name was of great value and not being able to have children was truly heartbreaking to say the least.

Have you ever been there? You are so overwhelmed and the weight of the enemy’s attack has been so overpowering for so long that Lord seems distant to you. You have so many bills coming at you and everything is going wrong. Maybe you are in the same home with someone who is not saved and the darkness through their temperament comes at you on a daily basis. You cry out but there seems to be no answer. Maybe you are in the position of Hannah, you want children and the years go by and still you are not able to conceive. You fill as if you have failed your husband. Maybe it is a dream or a purpose that is so strong in your heart, something that you are so passionate about, something you want to do for the Lord and you do all that you know how to do and you feel stuck. You seem to be walled in as if concrete walls are surrounding you with no doors. What do you do? How do you proceed? How does that loved one get delivered from the darkness in their heart and saved? How do you find the money to pay the bills? How do you conceive when it is clearly out of your ability? How do you move into your purpose and passion when you do not see a way to proceed? What do you do when you have cried out to God over and over and nothing? What do you do?

Hannah was heartbroken and Peninnah was provoking her. (I Samuel 1:6) “Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.†She was provoking her as if to say, “I have children and you do not.†The enemy keeps putting road blocks up in your way as well as if to do the same thing; rub it in that your prayers are still not answered.

Hannah did not give up; she kept hoping for children and had enough! Our verses says she, “Stood up.†In her spirit she stood up! As if to say, “I have had enough! It is time for my prayers to get answered!†Are you at that point? You do not want to give up but you have had enough of the enemy’s taunting!

We don’t always know why the Lord waits and why He chooses to answer in certain ways and do the things that He does. We are not called to always understand but we are called to trust. (Proverbs 3:5-6) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.†His ways are higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9) “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.†He has a higher purpose for the things you are going through. As hard as it may be keep hoping and keep trusting. (Psalm 37:9) “For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.†Trust in the Lord; the one who was beaten beyond human recognition, the one who was nailed to a cross in your stead, the one who died for you. Trust in the enormous amount of love it takes to do that and keep hoping and keep persevering, keep waiting and keep trusting until your prayers are answered.

Hannah “stood up,†as if to say, “I have had enough†and was now going to do whatever it took, pray as long as she needed to pray in order to have her prayer answered. What is the Lord speaking to your heart to do? Maybe it is turning the TV off and spending more quality time with Him reading and studying the Bible and in prayer and worship. Maybe it is to show some sort of unconditional act of love to that lost loved one that you would not normally show. To do something that would get their attention to take notice of the sacrifice of love it took to do it. Or maybe it is to go on a fast.

In the Book of Acts Paul was taken into custody for preaching in Jerusalem. He was taken into custody by the Roman troops due to the commotion the Jews who opposed him were causing. Paul spoke up and told of his conversion. Jews and Roman soldiers alike heard his testimony of Jesus Christ. When they were about to flog him (whip), more to appease the Jews, Paul cried out and asked if it was legal to flog a Roman Citizen. At this it caused them great concern. They had to get to the bottom of this but Paul’s life was in danger from the Jews who opposed him. They were conspiring to kill him. The Roman Centurion had him taken to Caesarea to hear the story and to get him out of Jerusalem. Paul was held in prison by Felix for 2 years who wanted to win the favor of the Jews. He was succeeded by Porcius Festus who also heard Paul’s story. Paul appealed to Caesar. King Agrippa as well heard the story and decision was finally made to send Paul to Italy. They set sail for Italy and stopped at ports along the way. All along the way Paul’s story was heard and he ended up in Rome and in the household of Caesar and yes, even there they heard Paul’s testimony and people were saved. (Philippians 4:22) “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.†The phrase saints here indicated saved! Christ was preached through all of Paul’s hardship and imprisonment and people were saved and the New Testament written!

You do not know the amount of people He will use to be touched by your situation. (II Corinthians 1:3-7) “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.â€

Ask, seek and you will find. (Matthew 7:7) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.†He will answer and give you direction as what to do. His answer is always yes, ( II Corinthians 1:19-20) “For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us-- by me and Silvanus and Timothy-- was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.â€

What will you give up? What will you go out of your way to do for the Lord that will go against the comforts of your flesh? Not as a work to get Him to answer but as an act of devotion and steadfastness. It is denying the flesh to feed the spirit. He may not ask you to fast or fast food; it may be an action on your part. Ask and He will answer. What you are doing is seeking Him with your whole heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-14) “For I know the plans I have for you,†declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,†declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,†declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.â€

He always comes through; He is always faithful. (Psalm 145:13) “The Lord is faithful to all of His promises and loving toward all He has made.â€

Victory is always promised! Trust that whatever you are going through is for a higher purpose. God’s love promises that and is shown in the work of the cross. Never doubt it and instead of complaining, start asking for direction. He will answer. (Psalm 60:12) “With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.â€