Get Honest
What does it look like to be fully honest with God?
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reading and journeying through the book of 1 Samuel. This book is one that I’ve loved reading over the years because it’s chock-full of stories of hope, restoration, and miracles. In Chapter 1, we are immediately presented with the story of Elkanah and his wife Hannah. We read that Elkanah had two wives, Penniah, who could bear children, and Hannah, who had not yet had children. Verse 6 says, “So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.”
I don’t know about you, but there have been several moments in my life where I felt so broken and longed for something so much that I physically felt the effects of it. In all honesty, there have been times when I’ve been so caught up in the anguish of what was happening around me that I found myself feeling stuck in a hole that I couldn’t get out of. And truthfully, a lot of these times, I felt guilty that I wasn’t able to latch onto “hope and peace and joy” the way that I thought that I should.
But, God.
As we continue reading in verse 9, it says, “Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”
I love this chapter so much, because Hannah came before the Lord in all of her mess, in deep anguish and bitterness, and still bowed before the Lord, talked to Him, and was completely honest with what she was going through. Later on, we even read that Eli, the priest, thought she was drunk because her lips were moving but no sound was coming out. Hannah was willing to look crazy, willing to lay it all before God; and she didn’t care what it looked like because she knew that the God of the universe was the one who would take care of her. And He did! God gave her a son, Samuel, who would then be raised to be a priest and dedicated his entire life to God.
What can we learn from this?
God cares so much about you. He wants ALL of you, not just some, not just the doctored up parts, not just the ones that look nice but the messy, broken, bitter pieces too. He formed you in your mother’s womb; He knows every single hair on your head, and He loves you so much. The beauty of the relationship that we get to have with our Father, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ making a way for us by the power of the Holy Spirit, is that we get to walk with Him through every valley, every mountaintop, and every pit that we find ourselves in. You are never alone, and you are not only able but encouraged to bring every piece of yourself to Him. He wants you, all of you. He hears the desires of your heart, and we read in Matthew 7:11, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
Trust your Father today. Know that He works things for the good of those who love Him, and bring every piece and every part of yourself to Him, knowing that He loves you more than you could think or comprehend. Take heart. God is good, and His mercy endures forever!
PRAYER/ACTIVATION:
Grab a piece of paper, something to write with, and then set a timer for 5 minutes. Take these 5 minutes to write down all that’s happening in your life, the good and bad and ugly, as a way to really get honest with yourself and with God. When the timer goes off, set another 5-minute timer, and then spend this time talking to Him about these things. It doesn’t have to sound pretty, just get honest before Him! Finally, when the timer goes off, take a moment to listen to what God has to say to you about what you’re going through. He loves to talk to His children, and He wants to talk to you!
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reading and journeying through the book of 1 Samuel. This book is one that I’ve loved reading over the years because it’s chock-full of stories of hope, restoration, and miracles. In Chapter 1, we are immediately presented with the story of Elkanah and his wife Hannah. We read that Elkanah had two wives, Penniah, who could bear children, and Hannah, who had not yet had children. Verse 6 says, “So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.”
I don’t know about you, but there have been several moments in my life where I felt so broken and longed for something so much that I physically felt the effects of it. In all honesty, there have been times when I’ve been so caught up in the anguish of what was happening around me that I found myself feeling stuck in a hole that I couldn’t get out of. And truthfully, a lot of these times, I felt guilty that I wasn’t able to latch onto “hope and peace and joy” the way that I thought that I should.
But, God.
As we continue reading in verse 9, it says, “Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”
I love this chapter so much, because Hannah came before the Lord in all of her mess, in deep anguish and bitterness, and still bowed before the Lord, talked to Him, and was completely honest with what she was going through. Later on, we even read that Eli, the priest, thought she was drunk because her lips were moving but no sound was coming out. Hannah was willing to look crazy, willing to lay it all before God; and she didn’t care what it looked like because she knew that the God of the universe was the one who would take care of her. And He did! God gave her a son, Samuel, who would then be raised to be a priest and dedicated his entire life to God.
What can we learn from this?
God cares so much about you. He wants ALL of you, not just some, not just the doctored up parts, not just the ones that look nice but the messy, broken, bitter pieces too. He formed you in your mother’s womb; He knows every single hair on your head, and He loves you so much. The beauty of the relationship that we get to have with our Father, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ making a way for us by the power of the Holy Spirit, is that we get to walk with Him through every valley, every mountaintop, and every pit that we find ourselves in. You are never alone, and you are not only able but encouraged to bring every piece of yourself to Him. He wants you, all of you. He hears the desires of your heart, and we read in Matthew 7:11, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
Trust your Father today. Know that He works things for the good of those who love Him, and bring every piece and every part of yourself to Him, knowing that He loves you more than you could think or comprehend. Take heart. God is good, and His mercy endures forever!
PRAYER/ACTIVATION:
Grab a piece of paper, something to write with, and then set a timer for 5 minutes. Take these 5 minutes to write down all that’s happening in your life, the good and bad and ugly, as a way to really get honest with yourself and with God. When the timer goes off, set another 5-minute timer, and then spend this time talking to Him about these things. It doesn’t have to sound pretty, just get honest before Him! Finally, when the timer goes off, take a moment to listen to what God has to say to you about what you’re going through. He loves to talk to His children, and He wants to talk to you!
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