WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:08.160 What do you do when you're waiting on God and nothing seems to be changing? 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:12.560 What do you do in that in that kind of a season when you start asking questions like when? 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:14.240 When God? 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:16.079 Like, when is this gonna happen? 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:18.399 When will my business really take off? 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:22.800 When will I really get some traction in my marriage? 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:26.399 When will I finally have some financial margin in my life? 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:29.600 Inevitably, this leads to the question, why? 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:31.519 When, God, why? 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:32.880 Why? 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:34.479 Why, God? 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:38.479 When you start asking why, this is also when comparison starts setting in. 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:40.479 This is usually the order of it. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:41.520 Why me? 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:43.280 Why do I have to go through this? 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:46.960 Because you start looking around, you're like, well, they don't have to go through it, but why am I going? 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:50.719 You start looking around, you start seeing other people in your life, and they have their own stories too. 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:51.439 Don't you love this? 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:52.159 They got their stories. 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:55.119 I prayed, and the Lord heard me, and he came through for me. 00:00:55.200 --> 00:00:58.560 And you're like, blessed you and the Lord. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:04.000 Here I am, still asking and still waiting. 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:06.560 Why isn't my career taking off? 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:08.319 Why do I have friction with my children? 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:10.640 Why do I seem to have marriage problems? 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:14.079 Why do I seem to be the one who's struggling with depression? 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:17.840 Why is it that I seem to be struggling with my career and my finances? 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:18.799 Why? 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:21.280 I think it's a human thing. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:22.879 This is a human thing. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:25.200 I think all of us do this to a certain degree. 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:29.840 We we have this idea that what we come up with a plan for our life. 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:34.799 We come up with an idea, and then then we expect to have that now. 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:36.480 It's like, oh, you know what? 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:38.879 I've decided I'm going to get my finances in order. 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:40.640 And we're like, man, it's taken a few weeks. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:43.280 And it's like, well, it took you five years to get into the mess you're in. 00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:48.400 It's like, and we're upset because it's taken us several weeks to get out of that mess, or at least come up with a plan to get out of that mess. 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:52.159 We're like, you know what, I'm finally, I just want, I want to, I want my marriage to be fixed. 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:53.200 I want my marriage to be better. 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:54.239 I want to improve that. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:02:00.239 And so we go on the journey of trying to improve it, and we're four weeks and we're eight weeks into it, and we're like, my goodness, why is it? 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:01.200 Why is it taking so long? 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:03.439 It's like, well, it's 15 years got you here. 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:05.040 It's like, you see this? 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:10.159 We have this idea, like we we've decided that we want a new career, and we're like, God, where's it at? 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:11.759 It's like, well, hold on a second. 00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:16.879 I remember doing this uh when I decided, I was in my early 20s, I was like, I want to be married. 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:18.479 I want to, I want to be married. 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:19.840 God, I'm ready to be married. 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:21.439 I I feel like I got my life in order. 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:26.240 I joined the Navy at the time, felt like I got my finances were in order, felt like I had some trajectory for my life. 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:27.680 I was like, I'm ready to be married. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:29.360 And I'm asking God, and then I had to wait. 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:31.439 And I was like, this is taking a long time. 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:33.120 What where's my wife been? 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:34.879 I was like, I can't find anybody. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:38.879 And then it was like two years later, I finally connected with my wife, and we ended up getting married. 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:42.000 And then if I do the math and I go back, we get we got married young. 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:43.520 I'm almost five years older than her. 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:46.000 When I was first telling God, I'm ready to be married. 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:47.120 Well, she was in high school. 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:47.599 She was 17. 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:49.280 I married her when she was 19, okay? 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:50.879 So she wasn't even available. 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:51.680 You see what I'm saying? 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:53.599 And then we were like, God, why? 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:54.879 Where are you? 00:02:56.080 --> 00:03:00.879 Could it be, could it be that God is preparing things for you? 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:02.879 And he needs you to be patient. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:07.520 Could that be a significant part of this in-between season that you find yourself? 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:16.719 Maybe it's your finances, maybe it's the friction that you're experiencing with your family, and you feel like it's gone on long enough, and you're kind of wondering, when is this gonna come to an end? 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:18.719 You're asking, when God? 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:21.840 When am I finally gonna experience healing in my body? 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:24.960 When do I how long does this have to go on for? 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:26.080 Why me? 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:33.120 Maybe there's a relationship where you've been asking God and believing God for reconciliation, and you're just wondering, is this ever gonna come to an end? 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:40.879 Could it be that God is preparing you and he's preparing things for you? 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:43.280 He just needs you to be patient. 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:46.400 I'm gonna give you some Bible principles. 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:48.960 We're gonna go to 1 Samuel here in just a minute. 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:57.759 And I'm gonna we're gonna track this story as we go as we go through this story, 1 Samuel, and and uh I'm gonna give you some Bible principles for winning in this season of life. 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:00.400 I I love that language, and I think there's a winning strategy. 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:06.719 I I don't I don't think, yes, in between seasons, seasons where you're waiting on God, though those are hard seasons. 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:10.639 They can be hard, but I don't think you have to just limp your way through it. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:12.240 I think you can come out the other side of it. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:13.280 I believe that you can win. 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:17.120 I believe there's a winning strategy, I think that you can overcome through those seasons. 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:19.519 I I really do believe that. 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:28.959 There's a story in 1 Samuel, and it's a story of a guy named Elkanah, and he's got a wife named Hannah. 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:36.160 And Hannah was uh unable to have children, and there's a lot of social stigmas that come with it, especially when this is written. 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:53.600 Lots of social stigmas around not being able to have kids, and so here she is, she's with the Bible would say she's barren, and Hannah, she's stuck in this situation where she's not able to have kids, and it's causing her a great deal of pain and honestly a lot of shame, just again, because of culturally the impact of what this means. 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:59.439 And as we study Hannah's story, we're gonna we're gonna go through this through the entire first chapter of 1 Samuel together this morning. 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:04.240 As we go through this, here's what I here's what I believe that God wants to say to you. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:08.399 I I believe that that you're gonna be able to see yourself in this story. 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:14.399 And I believe even though you don't see the answers, you don't see the way forward right now. 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:23.120 I I believe, I believe that you're gonna see yourself in this story while you and I are waiting on God, and nothing seems to be changing. 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:24.480 I think you're gonna see yourself in this. 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:26.160 This is 1 Samuel chapter 1. 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:31.199 If you got your Bibles, open up to 1 Samuel chapter 1, we'll start in verse 2. 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:35.120 And it says, and he had two wives, talking about Elkanah. 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:36.319 He had two wives. 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:41.199 The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other was Paninnah. 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:45.759 Paninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:51.600 Now I want to stop right there and let's teach on that for a moment because uh it never fails. 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:56.240 Inevitably, I I um we got a lot of people in our church that are new to Christianity. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:57.519 I know there's many of you in the room. 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:01.120 You're new to the, at the very least, you're new to the Bible altogether. 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:04.560 And so when I read a story like this, it never, it never fails. 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:06.160 I never get a question. 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:07.839 People ask me, what is saying? 00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:12.319 Are you saying, is God okay with having more than one wife? 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:15.600 Back the bus up here for a second, okay? 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:18.639 Because everybody who's been married, that's who was just chuckling right there. 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:20.079 That's who was laughing, all the married people. 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:24.959 See, everybody who's been married, we look at that and we're just like, and I'm not just talking to the men, I'm talking about the women too. 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:26.959 The men are just like, yeah, one wife's enough. 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:29.680 And all the women are going, yeah, and one husband's enough too. 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:35.759 Like, we and so we're all, and we just look at a story like this, and we're just like, we just kind of move on because we're like, yeah, that's ridiculous, right? 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:39.759 And and but I want to give you more than just an anecdotal answer to that. 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:44.480 Okay, Matthew 19, Jesus makes it really clear in Matthew 19. 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:51.680 He says, God's original intent for humankind is one man, one woman, one husband, one wife. 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:55.439 He and his appeal is he goes all the way back to Genesis. 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:59.279 The very beginning of Genesis is what he appeals to. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:01.120 He goes back to Genesis 1 and 2, and that's what he says. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.560 He says, Don't you remember how it started, how God originally intended. 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:12.000 And then, and by the way, this is that you need to don't miss this because his appeal is how things started. 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:23.920 And when we look at the Old Testament and we read stories that involve plural marriage, well, specifically multiple wives, what we see throughout the Bible is trouble always follows. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:24.560 Always. 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:27.279 It's it's across the cross by that trouble always follows. 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:34.399 In fact, the very first place that we see plural marriage, it's introduced on the scene in Genesis chapter 4. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:35.920 And it's a guy named Lamech. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:37.120 It's the first time it's mentioned. 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:40.160 It's a guy named Lamech, he's an evil, evil man. 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:41.360 That's how he's described. 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:42.639 He's very evil man. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:49.120 That's the first time that we see this whole concept of like plural marriage introduced in the Bible. 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:50.720 There's nothing good that comes of it. 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:57.439 Here's another layer to it, because I don't think many of us are struggling with the idea of plural marriage. 00:07:57.600 --> 00:07:58.639 Make no mistake. 00:07:59.040 --> 00:07:59.759 Make no mistake. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:03.519 We have plenty of people in our community who have come out of that arena. 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:06.639 But I don't think that that's most of our people here. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:11.839 The story of this story, Elkinah, he's a godly man. 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:14.480 This is applicable to all this. 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:15.519 He's a very godly man. 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:16.800 We're gonna read that here in a moment. 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:17.600 You're gonna see this. 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:20.560 He's a he's a godly, he's a godly man. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:27.600 How easy and how subtle it is to be influenced by the culture you find yourself in. 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:34.159 Because here's Elkanah, a godly man who's been so influenced by the culture by the culture. 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:37.919 Culturally, it's perfectly normal, it's completely acceptable. 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:44.879 And here's Elkanah, a godly man influenced by the culture, completely accepted the cultural norms of plural marriage. 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:50.159 And for most of us, plural marriage is not a temptation, but there's plenty of other things that are. 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:58.080 And while it might not be that, how easy it is for all of us to be influenced by our culture. 00:08:58.240 --> 00:08:58.799 Let's continue. 00:08:58.879 --> 00:08:59.919 This is verse 3. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:05.919 It says, This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:07.840 Again, Elkanah, he's a godly man. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:13.120 Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, the priests of the Lord, were there. 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:25.679 And wherever, whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Paninnah, his wife, and all her sons and daughters, but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:30.480 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:38.080 So it was year by year when she went up to the house of the Lord, she provoked her, therefore she wept and did not eat. 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:41.360 Then Elkinah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why do you weep? 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:42.559 Why do you not eat? 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:44.080 Why is your heart grieved? 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:48.639 Am I not better to you than ten sons? 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:57.840 This whole scene, this is a painful seas uh painful scene, and it's a it's a painful season for for Hannah. 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:12.240 You and on top of all of the pain of not being able to have kids, you've got all the complexity of a plural marriage, and then you have Paninna, who seems to be acting like she's responsible for her own fruitfulness, looking down her nose at Hannah. 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:15.519 And most of us aren't living Hannah's exact story. 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:18.000 However, there's some of us who are. 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:21.840 There's some of us who have in the past. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:30.399 All of us can relate to what it feels like to want something good in your life and then have to go through a season of waiting. 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:35.519 And and honestly, seasons when it seems like everyone else is getting their breakthrough. 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:38.320 Everyone else is everything's coming through for everyone else. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:47.519 Your friends are having babies, they're they're having promotions, they're they're getting they're getting their their prayers are answered, and and and you're like, that's wonderful. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:50.639 As you're still waiting, still waiting. 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:58.320 You're doing your best to celebrate, you're doing your best to be genuinely happy for the other people in your life. 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:01.039 And I, yeah, let's let's celebrate. 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:02.639 But I'm just gonna tell you what the Jesus thing is. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:03.519 Here's the Jesus thing. 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:04.960 The Jesus thing. 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:11.840 The Jesus thing is to celebrate and to be conscious of the fact that there's still other people who are still waiting. 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:13.440 So, oh, what are you trying to say, Pastor? 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:16.000 Well, I need to curb our enthusiasm and we need to stop celebrating. 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:17.759 So no, no, no, I'm not saying that at all. 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:19.759 I'm actually saying, yes, absolutely celebrate. 00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:21.279 I'm saying that we can hold this. 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:35.440 We can hold it in one hand, we can hold the fact that God answers our prayers and he's doing great things in our lives and he's coming through for us, but we can also hold it in the other hand that there's still people who are going through a waiting season and they're still waiting and they're expecting and they're still believing, and it's still tough. 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:38.799 Like we can hold both of those truths in both hands. 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:43.679 For Bethany and me, I mean, I remember with our first three kids. 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:49.679 It was like, it was like we decided to be pregnant, and then nine months later, there was a baby on the scene. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.159 We're like, this is this, I don't know what the fuss is. 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:57.519 You know, you just say you just you think about having babies, you have babies, you you do the thing to have babies, and then you have babies, and that's how it works, right? 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:01.759 Then we decided to have a fourth one. 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:09.679 And uh it didn't happen like that, it took a long time, and and it was it was a bit it was painful, honestly. 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:17.919 And we had already had three kids, and so but we were we we wanted more, and and it just it became really obvious in that moment. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:33.679 It's like wow, the first three, that was total grace on our life for the first three, and it revealed something in that moment, like maybe we're not as in control over all of this as much as we'd like to think that we are. 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:36.799 It doesn't have to be kids. 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:41.200 I'm just telling you that in between seasons we'll push on that. 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:45.919 The waiting seasons expose that in you. 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:50.960 They expose those expectations, those the false expectations. 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:52.720 They they push on that. 00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:55.759 Here's what I want to say to you this morning. 00:12:56.159 --> 00:13:05.919 I I really believe, I really believe that God wants to give you hope in this waiting season that you find yourself in so that you don't throw in the towel. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:09.200 I think God's going, don't don't throw in the towel. 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:10.960 Just just hang on a little bit. 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:17.840 Whatever waiting looks like for you could be something you're waiting for relationally, could be financial, business, marriage, you're believing God for a child. 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:23.120 And maybe that seems like just an unattainable miracle to experience something like that in your life. 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:24.080 Maybe it's an actual child. 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:24.960 Can I just say this? 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:25.759 We have faith for that. 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:27.919 You might not have faith for that, we have faith for that. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:33.919 So if you need to borrow ours, you can borrow some faith, and we'll just say we'll believe with you, we'll stand with you, we'll pray for you. 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:37.039 I'm just saying, you can get that here. 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:43.440 I believe God wants to put fresh hope in you so you don't give up in this waiting season. 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:46.320 What's a winning strategy? 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:53.120 What let me let me give you, listen, I'm again, I'm gonna give this, I'm gonna pull this right out of our right out of our story here in 1 Samuel. 00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:56.159 I want to, I want to give you, I'm gonna give you what Hannah did. 00:13:56.240 --> 00:14:06.320 We're gonna see if we can learn from her and kind of extrapolate a winning strategy so that you can overcome in this waiting season, not just kind of limp along and hope you come out the other side. 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:07.440 Okay, here's the first thing. 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:10.080 Don't let waiting warp your heart. 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:12.080 You need to reject bitterness. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:15.200 This is a really big, this is a big theme throughout the Bible. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:18.879 This is a significant part of Hannah's story. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:20.399 You got to reject bitterness. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:24.639 The waiting season you're in, this is a turning point for you spiritually. 00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:26.320 You you may not even know that. 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:31.039 You may not have realized the significance of the waiting season that you're in. 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:34.559 That season where you're waiting for things to change. 00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:51.360 It's a significant turning point for you, for you spiritually, because how you manage your disappointments, how you manage your disappointment, that if unmanaged turns to discouragement, and unmanaged discouragement becomes bitterness. 00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:57.200 Like what you do through that season will have a significant impact in the trajectory of your life. 00:14:57.360 --> 00:14:58.080 What am I saying? 00:14:58.159 --> 00:14:59.840 I'm saying reject bitterness. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:03.279 This is let's keep going in 1 Samuel chapter 1. 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:04.559 This is verse 9. 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:06.720 You can follow along on the screen too. 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:11.919 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:14.080 For my Bible nerds out there with me. 00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:15.679 That's actually a Hebrew idiom. 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:17.360 When she arose, here's what it means. 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:23.279 It means she's been listening to Paninnah, this other competing sister wife, I guess, whatever. 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:28.240 She's got voices, she's she's got her husband discouraged or encouraging her. 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:30.240 She's she's down in the dumps. 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:34.159 And what this means is, it means Hannah finally decided to do something about it. 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:35.519 That's what that's literally what this means. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:36.639 It's a Hebrew idiom. 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:38.799 Hannah decided to do something about it. 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:39.919 She arose. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:47.840 Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord, and she was in bitterness of soul and prayed. 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:51.840 Look at bitter, sounds familiar language, bitterness of soul, but look what she does. 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:54.399 She decides to pray to the Lord and wept in anguish. 00:15:54.559 --> 00:16:10.000 Then she made a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head. 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:12.879 This is a really important part of the story. 00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:14.559 How do you respond? 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:20.720 How do you respond when life doesn't go the way you are expecting it to go? 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:22.799 How do you handle discouragement? 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:24.720 How are you managing disappointment? 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:25.600 We said it last week. 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:26.799 We said it last week. 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:28.799 Disappointment is not a novelty. 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:31.200 Disappointment isn't the exception to life. 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:33.519 Disappointment is part of life. 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:36.240 Life's full of disappointments. 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:39.039 And most of them are just built on false expectations. 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:40.480 But what do you do with them? 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:43.279 How do you manage them when they start piling up? 00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:47.840 Remember last week, disappointments lead to discouragement, discouragement to bitterness. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:51.919 Bitterness opens the door to all kinds of deception and lies. 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:54.960 And those are the moments we derail our lives. 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:55.840 Those are it. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:17:00.320 Those are the moments, those are the moments when things tend to go sideways. 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:03.519 Most of the time, it's not because we wanted it to go sideways. 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:06.240 It's not because it's not like somebody said, okay, here we go. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:06.720 Here we go. 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:08.240 I got I got two choices for you. 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:10.079 Here's the truth and here's the lie. 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:13.920 Now I'm gonna really encourage you to go with the truth, but there's a lie over here, and you're like, you know what? 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:14.640 I did the truth thing. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:15.759 I just don't know if I really want to do it. 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:16.640 I think I'll choose the lie. 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:18.640 And then you look back and you're like, I just don't know where it went wrong. 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:20.000 That said nobody ever. 00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:21.599 That's not how it goes, right? 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:23.200 It doesn't work that way. 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:25.200 You don't even realize. 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:26.640 It's the cultural thing. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:28.880 It's the it's like it's in the water. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:38.319 It's it's the it's the unmanaged disappointment that became bitterness and deception and lies, and before you know it, you find yourself believing things that maybe you wouldn't have believed before. 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:46.000 And here's Hannah in this story in a completely understandable season of deep disappointment that has grown into bitterness. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:48.480 But what she does next is huge. 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:49.759 She takes it to the Lord. 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:51.359 That's a really big deal. 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:52.480 She goes to the Lord. 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:57.440 This is why the Bible really emphasizes, you'll see this throughout Jesus' ministry. 00:17:57.519 --> 00:17:59.119 You see this throughout the Old New Testament. 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:02.079 That what are you doing with unforgiveness in your life? 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:02.720 Forgive. 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:04.000 It's part of Jesus' prayer. 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:05.680 Forgive as you've been forgiven. 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:06.319 Why? 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:10.319 Because it creates bitterness, because bitterness will derail your life. 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:11.359 That's why. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:16.079 Because this is a significant part of flourishing. 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:22.960 And honestly, it's a significant part of winning through the waiting seasons of your life. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:25.039 Look at Hebrews 12. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:27.759 Hebrews 12, by the way, has a great, great how-to. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:29.119 Like there's a lot of information there. 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:33.599 How do you how do you manage, how do you manage bitterness in your life? 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:36.160 I'm just gonna read this is one verse out of Hebrews chapter 12. 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:37.119 This is verse 15. 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:39.200 Look at Hebrews take on on bitterness. 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:40.079 This is really insightful. 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:49.920 Looking carefully, lest anyone fall short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and this by many become defiled. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:51.680 Listen, listen to what I'm gonna say to you. 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:52.960 You need to understand this. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:55.440 There is no such thing as private bitterness. 00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:57.519 There is no such thing. 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:00.880 Even in the case of Hannah, uh it's coming out of her. 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:03.920 Like it's coming out in her tears, it's coming out in her anguish. 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:06.640 To her credit, she takes it to the Lord. 00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:11.279 Like really, to her credit, she's bitter, but she goes to the Lord with it. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:12.720 She's learning how to manage it. 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:15.599 She had a she had a I decided to do something about it moment. 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:18.799 She had a clarity moment, she brings it to the Lord. 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:22.960 But make no mistake, there's no such thing as bitterness that stays contained. 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:24.880 It would just, it won't. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:27.200 Bitterness, if unchecked, grows. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:34.880 We think, oh, if I just don't, if I just ignore it, you know, if I just stop talking about it, it'll it'll eventually go away. 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:35.759 It doesn't. 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:36.799 It doesn't. 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:44.559 When you don't bring it to the Lord, when you don't deal with your disappointment and your discouragement, it sinks down in you and becomes a root. 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:46.319 You want to know the thing about roots? 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:48.400 You can't see them. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:51.599 I mean, this is a bit this is a significant part of this analogy. 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:55.599 You can't actually, you don't, you can't see them when they're growing. 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:57.920 And they just they grow. 00:19:58.319 --> 00:19:59.119 They grow. 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:05.440 Someone asks me every now and then, they're like, Do you, or do you think I have a root of bitterness? 00:20:05.519 --> 00:20:08.240 Or how do I know if I have a root of bitterness? 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:10.400 Most of the time, you can't see that yourself. 00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:14.640 You're not going to know yourself whether you necessarily have a root of bitterness. 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:18.400 But if you're bringing it to God, I'm just telling you, that's step one. 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:29.839 But if you're not, make no mistake, if you're not bringing it to God, whatever is there, the disappointments that are going unmanaged that's now become bitterness, I promise you, a root is growing. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:30.640 It is. 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:32.240 You can't get away from that. 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:37.759 The Bible says it's a root of bitterness that comes springing up out of us and causes trouble. 00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:40.240 And you want to know the, you want to know the sad truth? 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:44.000 That is usually when we find out we actually have a root of bitterness. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:55.200 When it comes springing up out of us and it wrecks relationships, when it impacts the people around us, and we're just like, man, my goodness, what just happened? 00:20:55.359 --> 00:21:06.559 It's when you it's when you blow up a relationship and you say things you can't unsay, and you find yourself so discouraged and believing lies and so angry, and you find yourself doing things you can't undo. 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:11.200 You find out, what, and then and then you're like, oh my goodness, you maybe you come out of it. 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:21.039 Maybe it's five minutes later, maybe it's two months later, maybe it's a year later when your wife finds out and she just puts the ultimatum down, and you're like, oh my goodness, you start coming out of it, and you're like, what has happened? 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:24.799 What how you're coming out of the fog of it all, and you're going, what what just happened? 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:26.079 How did I how did I get here? 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:27.200 Let me let me tell you how you got there. 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:28.559 It's called bitterness. 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:33.279 Bitterness is what happened in that in that moment. 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:38.240 Comes up out of us and causes trouble. 00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:47.440 I'm just telling you, slowly, slowly, we we become bitter, unmanaged. 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:56.720 We get bitter toward our church, we get bitter toward our workplace, co-workers, our boss, we get bitter toward our friends who don't understand. 00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:58.000 You know what I'm talking about? 00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:00.160 But they just don't get it. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:04.000 That's usually called envy, and we like to mask it with, well, they just don't understand. 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:05.599 It's just like, I don't know about that. 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:10.240 We have all kinds of ways we're master justifiers of ourselves. 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:12.640 We begin to think things like, oh, hold on a second, though. 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:16.480 You're saying don't hold on to bitterness, don't hold on to unforgiveness, but you don't know what they did to me. 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:20.720 And if I let go of it, it's almost like I'm saying that it's okay that what they did, like what they did's okay. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:21.680 No, it's not. 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:23.039 Hold on a second, though. 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:29.359 You're saying that if I learn to become content in the waiting season when I don't have what I want, that somehow if I let go of that, it's like I'm giving up in the waiting season. 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:30.960 No, that's not what that means. 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:35.119 That's not, that's actually not, that's not how that works. 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:39.119 Because I'm just telling you, if you if you don't, if you if you don't manage it that way, here's what happens. 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:40.640 You'll start to slide a little bit. 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:42.240 The sliding begins to happen. 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:43.680 Bitterness starts setting down. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:46.000 You start asking the why and the when questions. 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:49.440 Wait a second, why, why do they have it and not me? 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:50.640 Why hold on a second? 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:51.839 Why is it taking me so long? 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:53.039 Only took them two years. 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:54.160 Why is it taking me five years? 00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:56.400 Only took them that long, why is it taking me this long? 00:22:56.720 --> 00:23:03.119 I'm just saying, and the the questions start, why, why, why is it, why, why, why is it, why is it happening for them and not me? 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:05.200 Why does everything seem to work out for them and not me? 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:08.079 Why is it that I have marriage problems and they don't have marriage problems? 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:08.400 Why? 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:11.119 And you start, I'm just telling you, why not me? 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:14.880 Slowly, slowly we become bitter. 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:17.440 What does bitterness look like for us? 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:20.880 I mean, I it's I don't think it's always the same for all of us. 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:22.880 I've heard this, I've heard this in a lot of people. 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:26.319 I don't know, maybe it's where we live, maybe it's this part of the world, maybe it's the Midwest. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:26.799 I don't know. 00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:27.519 I hear this a lot. 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:29.839 People come to me and they'll just start, it's just like small talk. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:32.079 But remember, bitterness doesn't stay contained. 00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:33.680 It comes out of us. 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:36.079