Most of us have things we want to achieve in life before we reach a certain age. Some of us wish to graduate in our early twenties, some want to pursue a career as soon as we graduate, and some wish to marry before they turn 35. And after marriage we desire even more such as buying a house, having a stable income, a bunch of kids and the list goes on. But what happens when you are a 35 years old and you are (still) not married? I deliberately put the still in brackets, because I believe you are never too old to marry; it’s not even a must if you don’t desire marriage, go and read the words of Paul if you need confirmation. And what happens if you want kids so bad, but you (still) haven’t received the fruit of the womb? Will you still have faith in God?
One thing I want you to know, is that you should never give up on God. If you want something, press on it in prayer and have faith that God will give it to you. God loves us so much that He doesn’t want us to lack anything. He wants us to be satisfied. In His word He makes us understand that even earthly fathers give their children what they want, then how much more God, our heavenly Father, the one who created us (Luke 11:9-13)?
The Story of Hannah and Elkanah
Hannah is the embodiment of a woman who had faith and waited on the Lord. You might have heard of her story before (1 Samuel 1), but I want to emphasize what she went through. Hannah wanted a child but the Lord had closed her womb. Elkanah, her husband, had another wife who was called Penninah, and they had children together. So in a way Penninah thought that she was better than Hannah. According to I Samuel 1:6, Peninnah made Hannah’s life miserable due to the fact that Hannah couldn’t conceive. This again made Hannah very bitter. I can only imagine what she went through; the small insults, rumours and mockings from Penninah, family members and outsiders. Let’s not forget the sleepless nights, heartaches and uncountable questions that consumed her mind year after year.
What I always tell myself and others is that you should never let the opinions of people influence you, NEVER. Even though Hannah did not have a child and she felt miserable and depressed, she still had the strength and the desire to go to God’s house and pray. She persevered and believed that God would answer her prayer. Sometimes it’s easier said than done. When you are in that depressing state, it suddenly becomes difficult to utter a word to God. In such a situation you just have to open up to God and surrender it all. I strongly believe that it was God that gave Hannah the strength to pray and have faith. One thing I really love about Elkanah (Hannah’s bae) is that he still loved Hannah and honoured the command given to husbands in Ephesians 5:25. He still comforted her and made her feel special by giving her a double portion of his offering. He showed her that she was good enough for him.
We all need such people in our lives. People who see our flaws, inabilities and imperfections and still love us for who we are. People who appreciate us and treat us like queens even though we don’t have it all together. I also believe that Elkanah was one of the reasons Hannah did not give up on God. She just wanted to make him happy and appreciate him for his great love he showed towards her. To make her dream come to pass, Hannah decided to take it to another level and made a vow to God. To cut a long story short God blessed her with a precious and an anointed son, Samuel. God answered her prayers and silenced her enemies.
Don’t get offended if you are not congratulated by the ones you expected it from, they are just short of words, silenced! Don’t let people rush you with their timelines. The woman with the issue of blood suffered for 12 years, but when she met Jesus her problem ceased (Luke 8:43-48). Never think that your problem is permanent. Make sure that your faith increases daily. It is never about how you started but how you will end and what is meant for you will never miss you. Just a reminder in case you forgot: when He says yes, nobody can say no.
God bless,
Justine Asante
Writer
The Purpose Wife 