Matriarchs on a Monday - Hannah - Praising God

My thoughts today turn toward the lovely portion of Hannah's praise to the Lord.

She had come to the Lord, seeking to have a child, and then so willingly had given him back to God.  and, now here she is giving Him all the glory and praise! Praising Him for being so many things.  For being God, who knows what is best for us ALL the time.

She begins, simply by showing her joy, and praising God.

"My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: "

How can we NOT praise God - He gives us so much more than we deserve, and all that we need.  And, we SO easily forget to take joy in these simple things, and even in the big things! We can be so caught up in the answer to our prayers, that we can forget to give the thanks back to God.


She then turns her thoughts to God's perfection.  It is this holiness, and perfection, that means He can do no wrong, and so whatever He deems our lot in life, is perfect also.

"There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God."

She carries on to acknowledge God's plan - His sovereignty over the ways of His children. 

"The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 

 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. 

 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory:"

Any merit and blessing that we see in our lives, is simply a gift and provision of the Lord.  

HE gives us life.

HE gives us riches.

HE gives us honour.

HE gives us an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away - reserved in heaven for us!

We need to stop, today - stop, and take stock of what great things God has done for us.  Our humanity would incline us, as Hannah had done, to wallow in self pity and only see the bad.

But, that is not what God wants from us.

Man's chief end is to GLORIFY God, and to ENJOY Him!  That cannot be done when pondering the negatives, and forgetting to praise Him.

If you start to count your blessings - to find things to rejoice in - you will find that you can be lifted from sorrow to song.  Just like Hannah, who turned from dejection, to declaring God's goodness and greatness.  Even though she had just carried a life within her for 9 months, cherished him for a couple of years and then given him away - she was STILL rejoicing and praising God!!! 

SO much to praise Him for.  

SO much to thank Him for.

I have been listening to The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom.  It has truly challenged my heart.  To hear Bessie, her sister, pointing out the reasons to give thanks - in a flea-ridden, overcrowded, foul, stinking, depressing, Extermination Camp in Germany, with t he possibility of illness and death hanging over them ALL the time.  If SHE could give thanks in that situation, how can I NOT find so many reasons to be praising God in my comfortable life?

Let's raise our voices with Hannah today, in our praise to God for His wonderful ways in our lives!