Experiencing God's Presence #322

Experiencing God's Presence #322

I asked the LORD to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life.

1 Samuel 1:27-28

Not only did Hannah desperately want a child. She also desperately wanted her husband’s other wife to stop taunting her for being barren. She was depressed, frustrated, and bitter. So she prayed, crying out to God with many tears and a desperate vow. If God would give her a child, she would give the child to God.

God answered her prayer, and a nation was changed. The child grew up to be a prophet who restored integrity to Israel’s priesthood. Samuel became a key figure between the period of judges and the kingdom era, anointing both Saul and David as Israel’s first two kings. God entered Hannah’s desperation, fulfilled her longing, and glorified His name.

Our desperation often becomes the platform for God’s Presence and glory. He’s always with us, of course, but He seems to enter into our deepest needs in a unique way. The cry of a desperate heart appeals to Him, not because He likes our desperation but because He likes our dependence. As the heart of a parent goes out to a hurting child, the heart of God goes out to those who cling to Him in their pain. When we grab hold of Him and refuse to let go because of our desperation, He hangs on to us, offering His comfort, strength, and solutions. He responds to the spirit of desperate arms around His neck.

Invite God into your desperate moments. Cry out to Him and ask Him to use your desperation for His glory. Expect Him to respond in His mercy. He may use your plea not only to change your life, but also to change a nation.

Lord, hear my pleas. Enter into my needs and fulfill them. Use my desperation as a platform for Your glory. And like Hannah, may I see Your provision and praise You for it.