Today on Real Life Radio. Are you in a painful situation in life? It's time to trust God because, in obedience to Him, the pain. Is controllable or the pain goes away. God, I'm coming to you.
I have nowhere to go. I've lost everything. I've lost this. I've lost that. You fill in the blank.
God, I'm coming to you. You're my king, and I begin to worship you, God, because I have no one else. This is real life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I'm David Jay, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God's Word, the Bible.
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So, if you haven't checked it out already, that's the Real Life Network streaming the best in Christian and conservative content. Sign up and start streaming today for free at reallifenetwork.com. That's real life. Life Network.com On today's edition of Real Life Radio. Pastor Jack continues his new series called First Samuel with a message titled, Life When the Bottom Drops Out.
Samuel was a man dedicated to God from birth, the last judge to rule Israel and the first of the prophets raised up during a time of great difficulty, adversity, and of course uncertainty.
Now you see, the period of the judges was coming to a close, and though Samuel was ordained as a prophet, it was actually his mother, Hannah, who gives us one of the most powerful examples of prayer, crying out to God through her helplessness and pain as a once barren woman.
So today Pastor Jack teaches that Hannah's barrenness was allowed by God and yet she remained obedient and continued to worship him throughout her sorrow.
Now with his message called Life When the Bottom Drops Out, here's Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Higgs. 1 Samuel chapter 1. 1 Samuel chapter 1 in our study, and we are in verses 12 to 20. As we look tonight to the events And 1 Samuel chapter 1, we are really gonna be seen and Oh, analyzing the life of Hannah. And so we're going to look at her life together.
And before we do that, in our last study together, we were reminded that. This book, 1 Samuel, is written at a very, very wonderful time, and what it covers covers a very critical time of Israel. That the period of the judges of Israel was about to come to an end, and of course, Samuel was the last judge of Israel. But we saw last time also that Samuel is the first of the prophets. And God had determined that Samuel would, in fact, be a prophet in Israel.
And we made mention to you that Samuel. In Bible study circles, has this unofficial title of being a kingmaker. God uses Samuel to anoint Saul. As king of Israel. And then later, God uses Samuel yet again to anoint David as king.
And so it's a very, very wonderful book, and it covers a great. plethora or a great Um Broad View of many different personalities. We're going to study some wild characters. We're going to study some tremendous events. I mean, there's some events in this book that, you know, we're going to stand up and say, yes, yes, go, go, you know, fight.
And we're going to, you know, shout and holler when David drops Goliath. It's gonna be great. But then there are horrible Situations where David ought to do something against his rebellious son. David, come on, discipline that boy, and what are you doing? And he doesn't come through for us as though we'd want him to come through.
And we're sometimes disappointed. And then there's battles where there's no doubt Israel's gonna win, and they don't win. And then there's times when God is consulted and all goes well, and then just when you think Israel's got it down. They Get their eyes off of God, and there's a great mess. We're going to enjoy this book in light of great worship services and.
Some great characters of the Bible will be introduced to us. But I have to tell you, just on the outset, this precious woman, Hannah. If you and I were together last time, we studied this, and this one thing was that Hannah. Verse 2, you can look at it with me in your Bibles. Verse 2, it says there, and he that is.
Hannah's husband Elkanah had two wives. The name of one was Hannah. And Panaya, the other. And Panaya had children. But Hannah had none she had no children.
And we saw last time that Elkanah loved Hannah. And it's assumed that, like in any Jewish man and family, they want. Not only children, they want a male. It's a very honorable thing to have a male child. And it appears that Hannah being the one that.
Elkanah was married to first, wasn't unable to produce children. And so, probably in a lack of faith, on Elkanah's. Uh side, he took Uh this other woman and Which is not uncommon in the Bible, though it's not God's decree. And she bore him children, she bore him sons. And so we saw the very bitter situation that was going on.
This woman mocked Hannah. You know, I don't know what she said. None of us. You know, really knows what she said to Hannah, but they would go up to worship. It's as though they're driving to church.
They were going up to worship, and she would poke fun at Hannah. You know, hey, Hannah, you know, what are you gonna do? Go pray and ask God again to bless your womb? Hey, uh Hannah. I know that he loves you, but After all, I'm the one producing.
And it vexed Hannah's heart. And it was a horrible situation. A very emotional situation, no doubt about it. And in our study, we remember that Hannah's name is. The very name Hannah is rooted in grace.
Her name means, whose name means special or chosen or favored by God or graced by God. And here she grew up with that name, and she had to doubt in her emotions: Am I really graced by God? Yes, she had a husband that loved her. In fact, he said, Hannah, cheer up, sweetheart. Aren't I better to you than ten boys?
And that's a nice thing to say, but It didn't take away her biological and maternal time clock. Did it. She wanted a child. And we see in our study tonight that she specifically wanted a son. The grace of God.
Her name was given. And I wonder if sometimes, listen, ladies, listen, guys. I wonder if sometimes she thought if that wasn't some sort of a mean cosmic joke. My name Graced by God, and yet when I look around in my life, I see things the opposite. It seems to me that if I look around at my life, the bottom's dropped out of it.
And yet, the pitiful thing about that is, I still have life. Have you ever been in the place? Where life is so pressing and so difficult that. Like Paul, like Elijah, you despair and despise even life.
Now maybe in this room There's few people that have gone to that depths. Personally, and I say this vulnerably, as a young child, I say as a teen, I should say, I remember being 15 years of age and not fitting in. At all. I had more zits than the moon had craters. And in my school, in fact, all through school, wearing Penny's Towncraft t-shirts.
We're the hot deal. Beautiful white with 501 button-down Levi's and converse high-top tennis shoes. The tennis shoes I could wear. The Levi's I could wear. But I could never wear a T shirt.
Because I had such severe acne. That it would just Be horrible. In my face, I would often hide my face, and I had horrific. Curly hair. I had straight hair, and then I went out for football, got my hair shaved down to the skin.
You know that, guys. And for some reason of all Times in the 70s. My hair came in. Curly. And I mean curly, and my sister used to straighten my hair.
Listen, for a hunky white man like me, curly was not cool. And I would be made fun of. And I look like a zit machine. And I stuttered horribly. And the only comfort that I could find.
was in lifting weights and hurting people in sports. I was all my pain was so pent up. My anger at what, I don't know, maybe life, you know? that I enjoyed hurting people. Our high school football line averaged 260.
Three of those guys went on to play pro football. And I was a little guy. I didn't play the line, but I played a fullback and linebacker, and I was one of the smallest guys in our team, but I used to hurt people. Why? Because I was good?
No, because I had so much rage built up inside of me. And I tell you, I remember Being so disgusted with life that, and not knowing Jesus Christ at all, not even owning a Bible. I remember not even wanting to live anymore. And for me, emotionally, the bottom had dropped out. No, I wasn't doing drugs.
I wasn't drinking. I did none of that when I was young. Like, no, none of that. My emotions had gotten the best of me. And I was crushed.
And I look at young people today in my heart. I tell you, I love them. I just love them. I I don't know, maybe that's why God has me speaking at so many youth camps and retreats. I don't know, but I love them.
I want to take them all home with me. Not that that would be better for them, but it might be better for me. And I think I had a In her emotions, the bottom May have felt like it had fallen out. Hannah had been in pain. For the Bible says in 1 Samuel 1, 4 through 5, it says, For the Lord had closed her womb.
If that was an insult upon injury, it's that the Lord had closed her womb. There wasn't anything wrong with Elkanah, it was Hannah. And there really wasn't anything wrong with Hannah. It's that God had closed her womb and she was unable to bear. Children.
And I don't know how that would sit with you. Did she know that? Did God somehow speak that to her? I don't know. Probably not, but I'm guessing.
But in her pain, Hannah practiced obedience. Jot that down, if you would. In her pain, Hannah practiced obedience. Usually in our lives, we become very disobedient toward God because we have pain. God, I have pain.
I'll show you.
Now, we would never say it like this, but this is what we act out. God, I'm in pain, and you haven't done anything about it, so I'm going to be disobedient. Have you ever seen that happen in maybe your friend's life or maybe in your life where things didn't go right? And so, in Pain, disappointment. We somehow think we're going to afflict God.
By being rebellious. Isn't that stupid? But yet, this is the mentality of the human spirit when emotions are in control. And her sorrow, though. Hannah worshipped.
In her pain, she was obedient. And her sorrow she had. She worshipped. And last time together, we saw where it said in verse 10: and she was in bitterness of soul. And she prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.
You ever been there? And she made a vow. And she said, O Lord of hosts, If you will indeed look upon the affliction of your maidservant And remember me. Do not forget 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. In other words, she's saying, God, in the midst of my... Wretched soul in my tears that seem to be like a fountain that just turns on. God, for me to have a child.
To take away my reproach and to allow me to be a mother, even if it be God, gladly that I dedicate this child to you, I will give him back to you. And no razor shall Come to his head. That is, he'll be a Nazarite. He'll be a hippie all the days of his life. Dedicated to God.
He's yours, Lord. And she prayed specifically, God, give me a son.
Well, God had a plan long before she ever prayed that prayer, but listen, and we'll be into our study. Listen. The very situations of her life, God engineered to bring that woman to pray a prayer. The very situations of her life, God. was in Business engineering.
To bring her to that prayer. And it's amazing to me that in every one of our lives, there are things going on in our lives, and God is waiting. to hear a prayer of specifics from us. You're listening to real life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series, go to jackhibbs.com.
That's jackhibbs.com. And now let's get back to our teaching. Once again, here's Pastor Jack. There are things going on in our lives and God is waiting. to hear a prayer of specifics from us.
And you might say, well, Jack, if I learn the prayer of specifics in the situation of my life, will the pain go away? I don't know, maybe. It seems to here. But more than the pain going away is God and his infinite wisdom, which I'm not always fond of, Him bringing about it. a work that is of eternal consequences.
God works character into our lives. I just don't know. I don't get it. Why doesn't God just Kill us the moment we become Christians.
So we can go home. And enjoy eternity with him. Or if it's a character thing, Lord, why don't you deal with my, just give me a great character after I'm in heaven? Why do I have to go through trials and tribulations now? But he has not once listened to me about this, so.
We pick up in verse 12 tonight. And it happened as she continued praying. Before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth, Eli being the priest.
Now, Hannah had spoken in her heart, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli though or thought she was drunk, so Eli said to her, How long? Will you be drunk? put away your wine from you. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I I am a woman of sorrowful spirit.
I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman. For out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition. Petition which you have asked of him.
And she said, Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.
So the woman went away, went on her way, and ate, and her face was no longer sad. Then they rose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord and returned and came to their house at Ramah, and Elkanah knew Hannah. His wife, and the LORD remembered her.
So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked, For him From the Lord. Life, when the bottom drops out. The first thing that I want you to consider. in our study in verses 12 to 15. Regarding life and when the bottom drops out is how often When this happens, it magnifies our frailty.
And I want to teach tonight, having Hannah as an opposite. of what might go on in our lives. We're going to use Hannah as an example of what to do. Often, often. When we feel that the bottom has dropped out of our lives, it magnifies our frailty.
There is not one person in this sanctuary who is not keenly aware. of your own frailty.
So deep does this Awareness and pain run in some of our lives that we go to great lengths to hide our frailty. We will avoid almost anything to expose our frailty. It's the way of the world. Many people will say, you Christians, you have your crutch, this Jesus, this crutch of yours. The reason why, and I'm not ashamed to say it, the reason why Jesus is our crutch is because we have come to grips with our frailty.
Does that offend you? I am frail. I tell you, somebody who Thinks they got the world by the tail. You know? You see a lot of yuppies that are running around today.
In fact, do they even call them yuppies anymore? They don't, do they? They just call them millionaires. You know, we just have a bunch of them running around. These young punks, they don't know what to do with their money, they're so young, too smart.
And too rich for their age, running around, and they think they're it. You know, that's it. And Uh until Um You know, they often, this is a real problem, they get married. And uh you got uh A male yuppie and a female yuppie, and they come together and they want to have Guppies, or whatever they have. And uh they can't get pregnant.
This is a real problem in America. This is one of the Expensive prices of prosperity and hard work. They work so hard and they've got such stressful jobs that many. have become impotent. And they're ability to reproduce and it is a syndrome.
In Yappidam. That they cannot produce. It's a real medical problem. And the cure is: you need to get a less stressful job, you need to take a break, take it easy. And back off.
They tell us, physicians do, that the pressure upon these performers is so great. That they often suffer and break down, and quote, their kingdom falls from within. They break down. Frailty. The bottom drops out.
When we get our eyes off of God and our frailty is magnified and we're overwhelmed. And you might say, Jack, you're kind of bordering on the bit of psychology here. You know what? Uh maybe I am. I don't believe in psychology.
I believe in Jesus Christ. Converting a soul. Body, soul, and spirit. Not only the spirit, not only the body, but the souque, the psyche of a man. But the fact remains that you and I are keenly aware of our frailty.
Now, what do we learn from this? We see, first of all, is that. We can be deceived by our feelings. And they'll render us helpless or in a state of helplessness. when we allow our frailty To consume us, we get our eyes off of God and then we realize, oh my goodness, I can't handle this any further.
Hannah didn't do that. She wept and cried out to God. And listen, so often our emotions, our feelings deceive us, and we get overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness. And I want to ask you, and I'm going to ask you a lot tonight: do you ever feel helpless? And that helpless feeling also can be felt as hopelessness or loneliness, a great pressure of isolation.
We get overwhelmed with our frailty, and so we begin to sense a great and deep helplessness. Look at Hannah's example. It says, and it happened as she continued praying before God. I don't know if you're going to like it or not. It doesn't matter.
I don't know if I do either, but it's a fact. Listen, she continued praying. And you say, Jack, don't tell me to keep praying about the situation that I'm dealing with. Listen, friend, you may be like the 49ers. I don't mean the football team, I mean the 1849ers.
Many of them worked and searched for a vein of gold, picking up a little dust here and there and a couple of nuggets along the way, but quit one inch away from the greatest, most colossal vein ever discovered on earth. And the man, by the way, who had that stake quit one inch away.
sold it for a couple of bucks, and the next guy took it, took his pick, and struck it, and it hit the greatest vein ever exposed in the earth. Um quitting a moment too soon. We so often go to prayer, and if God doesn't Hear our prayer, and maybe we'll even pray two times about it, and we will give up on it.
Well, that's a sad thing. We are byproducts of our culture. Give it to me, give it to me now. We are the instant generation. That's Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs, here on Real Life Radio, with his message called Life When the Bottom Drops Out.
You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack's news series called First Samuel. It's a great series highlighting the life of the prophet Samuel, who was called by God during one of Israel's darkest times to lead the people back to the heart of true worship. And we'll pick things up next time right here on Real Life Radio. What do you say when a friend says their marriage might end? Or, how do you help a coworker dealing with depression?
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