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1 Hannah also prayed and said, "My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2 "There is none holy like the LORD, there is none besides thee; there is no rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. 6 The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. 8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and on them he has set the world. 9 "He will guard the feet of his faithful ones; but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might shall a man prevail. 10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed." (1 Samuel 2:1-10 Revised Standard Version)
Happy Thursday, ConCafe Family! May God's awesomeness fill your tongue with awesome praises which you, dear Friend, will share with as many people as you can! Prayers please for those for whom we have been praying as well as for those we carry close in our hearts. Pray for our children, our grandchildren, and all the little ones that look up to us! Pray for one another; pray for your personal needs.
First, let us say this song of Hannah is a beautiful work of art. It reflects her gratitude towards God for what God did for her and through her. Let us also say it set the stage for another grateful mother, Mary, for her song after she learned what God would do through her. We must also know that some scholars say this poem or song, was not necessarily the work of Hannah, but a poetic license the writer took to increase the appeal of this passage. You, dear friend, are free to believe what you want about this song. I had a professor who stressed story over structure; meaning knowing the story is more important than the analysis that comes from study rather than enjoyment or the blessings that comes from it. In popular music, I would be the first to confess that some songs that I loved as a child were more for the music, the beauty, the enjoyment that it brought to me, and not necessarily the structure or even the words. For example, the first record I asked my Mom to buy for me was This Diamond Ring, by Gary Lewis. It was all the music that sold it to me and it was years later that I came to understand the message behind it. If you tried telling five year old me about a jilted lover wanting to rid himself of an engagement ring I would have said, "?Que?" I think we profit more from hearing gratitude on the part of a once barren woman now blessed with a child. Her worldview changed and she exalts God and plays down God's enemies. And the most famous line is the one quoted in the graphic, "There is none holy like the Lord, there is none besides Thee; there is no Rock like our God." Boom. And she lists the accomplishments of God. Scholars would say, this is part of the nationalist part of the hymn that give them reason to suspect it is a later work of another hand, not necessarily Hannah's. And the list is quite impressive of the wonderful works of God: God provided opportunies for work; the hungry were fed, the barren moms have borne many children, God works among the dying and brings life to those who need it; God is involved in the making of rich and poor; the needy are lifted from their ashes, and invited to sit among the powerful and privileged. God guards the feet of the faithful, and sets the wicked on their deserved paths. God's enemies will be broken into pieces; and judgment will come from God; and God's strength will be upon His king who rules over Israel, and the anointed will be exalted.
Most of us would not be capable of sitting down and writing a poem or song like Hannah or Mary; but God does not expect that. Truly, God delights in hearing a simple, but heartfelt "Thank You" from us when we really and truly mean it. Those two words would be a symphony to God's ears and that is sufficient for Him. Of course, if you are a talented writer, than write away! If you are a composer, compose the song that shares your thank yous to God for the multitude of things that God has shared in your life. This evening I made a video for our granddaughter Eliana, who is in a UIL competition and she responded with the sweetest message that melted my heart and when I shared it with Nellie, it melted hers as well. I didn't even expect it, but man, did it hit the spot in my heart. A darling granddaughter that I truly love sending a simple thank you was the symphony which closed out a beautiful day in a beautiful way. I believe that if I could multiply that by a billion, I'd have a tiny glimpse of what God's heart feels like when He hears from us our thank yous. We're so, so close to our national day of Thanks, and this sets the tone for which should take place every day, but certainly on that special day we call Thanksgiving Day.
Dear one, thank you for reading this, and for sharing your prayers with me. I cannot begin to explain God's faithfulness in sharing words that I share with you. It is your prayers that help me a bit when I press Send; usually I think who will even understand this mess of words that I have somehow put together in some sort of order, but I pray, "Glorify Yourself in the hearts of those who read these," every time I press the send button.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, in Your mercy be glorified in this dear person's life. Help them with their battles and struggles, but fill their minds with refreshing to the multitude of times You have poured out a rich blessing on them, so that the heavens would be filled with the symphonies of thank yours from those who love and trust You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Say thank you to those in your life who need to hear it from you!
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
