OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 18/08/2013 - LET YOUR HOPE ARISE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

LET YOUR HOPE ARISE

MEMORY VERSE

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

Hebrews 6:19

READ

1 Samuel 1:9-18

1 Samuel 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

1 Samuel 1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

1 Samuel 1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

1 Samuel 1:12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.

1 Samuel 1:13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

1 Samuel 1:14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

1 Samuel 1:15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.

1 Samuel 1:16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

1 Samuel 1:17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

1 Samuel 1:18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

MESSAGE

Certain events take place at some point in one's life which causes one's hope to soar. This season, your hope will soar. In 1 Samuel 1:9-18, Hannah had been going to Shiloh and had been praying without receiving any change in her situation. She was probably never noticed. But one day, while praying, the man of God noticed her but misjudged her – taking her for a drunkard; by the time she explained herself, the man of God asked God to grant her request. From that moment, Hannah was no longer sad; she was free with everybody and happy because suddenly her hope began to rise. Even though she was yet to see the manifestation of her miracle, she had however experienced an incident that had convinced her beyond reasonable doubts that the tide will surely turn.

Similarly, in Mark 10:46-52, blind Bartimaeus had been staying at the same road side begging for years without receiving the help he so much needed, until one day, the Helper of the helpless passed by. As he began to shout out the name of Jesus, he heard someone say, 'Be of good cheer, Jesus is calling you'. On hearing that good news, his hope arose. The king of glory was about to pass judgment on his problem of many years. Yes, his hope soared high even though he was not yet healed. He threw away his garment and headed for the Lord because something told him that at last, his tide was about to turn. Also, in Acts 3:1-8, the lame man had begged from the same location for several years until he gave up hope of ever receiving any healing other than alms. But one day, the same men who had always given him alms came by and as usual, he asked and they said to him, 'Focus on us'. As he looked on them, he saw the glory of God. At that point, hope arose in his heart to receive something of them. It does not matter how long you have been at that particular bus stop of your life, the Lord is passing your way this season. Let your hope arise today, be full of expectation of his touch because the tide is about to turn in your favour.

ACTION POINT

Worship the Lord throughout today and thank Him for your expected turn around.