Thanksgiving – 1 Samuel 2:1-10

There is something special about an Ordinary People who place Extraordinary Faith in God.
Hannah is one such prayer.
A woman marked by sorrow. She was barren and in her culture barrenness was marked by grief and shame.
She was the wife of a man who had another wife and with that wife had several children.

Hannah’s Prayer

1. Then Hannah prayed and said: My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.
2. “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”
3. “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.
4. The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5. Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.”
6. “The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7. The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
8. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world.
9. He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails;
10. Those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

1. My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.

2. “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”

3. “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.

Hannah does not begin by boasting about her answered prayer, nor about the baby she is holding in her arms.
She begins by rejoicing in the Lord. Not the gift but the Gift-Giver.
His deliverance
His holiness
His strength

What do we truly rejoice in?

Psalm 16:11
in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

True joy is found in Him and not in circumstances.

6. “The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.

7. The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.

8. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.

God is sovereign; the supreme ruler with authority over everything.

Daniel 2:21
He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Hannah has experienced this.

9. He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails;

Speaks of Justice.
He is not indifferent. He will punish evil.

Psalm 37:23-24
The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

10. “It is not by strength that one prevails; Those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

Zachariah 4:6
Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

3 Things We Can learn from Hannah.
1. Rejoice in God Himself and not just his blessings. When life is good, give thanks. When life is hard, give thanks, because your joy is not anchored in shifting circumstances, but on an unchanging God.
2. We must learn to trust His sovereignty. He raises up and he brings down. He turns ashes into honor. There may be times when you think you are overlooked, forgotten, or stuck; but know that God sees, and he will move at just the right time.
3. Remember that our strength, wisdom, resources or strategies is not enough. We must learn to trust him with all that we have.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 100
¹Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
³Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 95:2
Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him in song.

Psalm 107:22
Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice at all times. / Pray without ceasing. / Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Take time to reflect on the goodness of God.
Be thankful for the mercies and the grace extended to you by the Almighty God.
Be more thankful for the Giver than the gift; and the gifts are good.
Be thankful for family, friends, and our church.
Be thankful for the opportunities God has presented to you.
Take time to count your blessings and be amazed at what God has done.