Have you ever wondered why it is that God closes off certain avenues for us; avenues that we long for, pray for and feel would be good for us? I have been battling with this recently.

It feels as though God has taken some very long-for and precious things from my life. But I am taking heart from the beautiful story of Hannah.
Here was a perfectly sweet Godly woman, desperate for a child and yet we read:
“The Lord… closed her womb.” 1 Samuel 1:5
That sounds harsh and cruel of God at first glance, doesn’t it?
Sometimes God will only allow a door to open when we understand why it was shut in the first place.

Hannah wanted a son.
God knew that His people needed a prophet!
Poor dejected Hannah was not thinking BIG enough!

When she prayed, ‘If you…give me a son, I will give him back to you all his life…’ (1 Samuel 1:11 NCV), God not only gave her Samuel, but also six more children! (1 Samuel 2:5). That is the kindness and graciousness of Father!

When we pray for a harvest, God will ask us to sow a seed for Him. That seed may be something or someone you love and want to cling to, but don’t! Rather, surrender it to God. He knows what He is doing. If you never get it back, you never needed it in the first instance. If you do get it back it will be in the timing and will of God and you will have learnt what He needed you to learn in the process.

Hannah discovered she couldn’t be satisfied with less than God’s will. Even though her husband Elkanah had two wives, and loved Hannah the most and granted her ‘a double portion’ of his possessions (1 Samuel 1:5) that wasn’t what she wanted.

I desperately want to serve God in these days and with all I am. I will continue to wait on Him and seek His face. I am not interested in double portions of the favour of people -although that is nice – its not of eternal value.

I am praying that God shows me how to dream HIS dreams and not my own. Sometimes even my really big dreams and just far too small!