Good morning people who do other people good in times of challenge and difficulty

1 Samuel 1:6-7 NIV 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.

This is a confronting scripture that I feel Father wants to use to challenge us all today.

The truth is, sometimes God allows times of difficulty, challenge, and even apparent contradiction in our lives. Although I know God is good and perfect, I don’t understand all of His ways. Sometimes the hand of God’s sovereignty is not always easy, nor does it look like God is even for us (just ask Joseph and Job, oh, and don’t forget Jesus Himself). But as the old saying goes, ‘looks are deceiving’. God is always for us!

Now here’s the challenge for us from this verse: during this time of difficulty and contradiction, Hannah’s rival kept on provoking her. From the context of this passage, it appears this rival was part of her own family (Elkanah’s other wife), and it was also someone who regularly went to the house of the Lord.

So here’s Father’s challenge today to us all:

“What do we say to people and how do we make them feel when God is doing or allowing something in their life that is not easy?”

May we all be people who encourage and strengthen others in these times, not condemn, judge or provoke. Let’s do each other good and champion each other on.