4/7/2010 Don't make a Promise you can't keep

1 Samuel 1-2; Psalm 66; 2 Corinthians 7

1 Samuel 1:11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

Hannah was a woman after Gods heart. She knew that if she needed something she would seek the Lord for her deepest desires. So many people easily make promises to God and don't keep them. God doesn't grant their prayers because they don't ask with their heart. They ask with their mind. Hannah when pleading to God asked with her heart. And the reason Eli thought she was drunk and couldn't understand how she was praying was because only God knows whats in our hearts. Eli tried to kick her out and almost costed her her prayer to God but she pushed through and was humble before this man of God and through her faith got her dream.

It is so easy to say you will do something than don't end up doing it. I keep saying I'm going to get up and run and little by little I'll lose weight and feel better about myself. It would be easy to say Lord, please let me lose the weight and when i do I'll follow you all the days of my life. Many people use this line to get what they want. "Lord, please if i get an A on my exam, if i get that job i want, if i marry this person, if i get a raise...i will dedicate my life to you 100%" And what ends up happening is once we get our dream, we forget God...But God wants us to be like Hannah, because she remembered what she told God and kept it in her heart.

v.26-28 and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. ²⁷ I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. ²⁸ So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.

Lord,
i thank you for your mercy. I have said those words many times to you and many times i have failed you. I know your grace is sufficient but i want to change my words. I want to change my heart and redirect it more to you. Help me to keep looking forward and stop trying to see whats on my right and left.
I forever love you always,
Amen