Hello friends!
I’m back with another gem from the books of Samuel (hold your applause please). This time we will be revisiting the story of Hannah but looking more specifically at 1 Samuel 1:20. Hannah had been barren for a long time and finally God ‘remembered’ her after a series of interesting events. When rereading this, the words ‘in the process of time‘ really stood out to me. Why? The bible could have left those 5 words out but they were put in for a reason.
The entire story of Hannah and Samuel shows one thing very clearly, God has an appointed time for everything. Initially we read that God shut up Hannah’s womb, which may sound cruel to us but it isn’t. Samuel was needed for a specific time and therefore needed to be raised as a priest by the prophet Eli. Hannah needed to be at a point where she was willing to give her child back to God so that this process could take place. You see, sometimes we pray and don’t get what we want, not because God is cruel but because our heart needs to change and this can only happen in the process of time. This process may be long, it may be short but it must take place because there is a specific, God-ordained time for everything. God’s purposes for our lives outweigh simply granting our desires (read that again slowly). God is not a genie. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that ‘to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the sun,’ this means that when we receive answers we must be grateful but also mindful of the purpose. It also means that when we pray and we don’t seem to be receiving answers we must still be grateful and mindful of the time. These two statements are not mutually exclusive however.
Back to Hannah. ‘In the process of time’ indicated to me that though Hannah prayed and was remembered by God, there was still a process, she still had to be intimate with her husband, she still had to carry Samuel for 9 months, she still had to go in to labour and she still had to deliver Samuel. It also made me think, ‘what if Hannah actually had to wait a few more years and thats what the bible means by ‘in the process of time’?’ but we will never know, just wanted to share that thought. Being in God’s will does not negate process, things still need to take place whether we see it or not. So do not lose heart and do not let the devil steal the purpose of your process because it’s all too easy if we give him even an inch. It’s funny how we can be looking our breakthrough right in the eye yet still doubt God because it’s/we’re going through the process of time.
I pray for anyone going through their ‘process of time’ that you will receive strength and faith to hold on, you will not wither nor grow weary, He is right there with you. Just hold on, it’s only a matter of time.