Dealing with Quadruplets

“But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.  Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.  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.”

I Samuel 1:5-7

 

Why is it stated twice?

It clearly says that it was the Lord who closed Hannah’s womb!

Not the devil.

Not some disease or infirmity.

 Not some other reason – it was the Lord who closed it.

Certainly that's not 'feel good' theology and maybe God knew some might look for a way to soften the blow of that truth hitting us so it was repeated - as if to say - YES! I meant what I said!

But you still have to ask the question.

Why?

Why did the Lord close Hannah's womb?

I mean, after all, it’s not like it went unnoticed by others.

Because of it, she suffered humiliation and scorn from others to the point of tears.

Didn’t God understand that she was hurt?

Didn’t He care about her feelings?

Yes and yes.

But sometimes Gods’ plans are more important than our ‘feelings’.

That is not to minimize the pain that Hannah surely felt but to recognize that some of Gods’ greatest works, in and through us, are born out of pain, suffering, hardships and trials.

These are ‘quadruplets’ we’d rather not dote over: pain, suffering, hardships and trials.

You know as well as I do that they come into every person’s life.

How we respond to them, what we do with them makes all the difference as to whether God gets the glory through it or whether we throw in the towel, failing to see His purpose fulfilled.

We will look at Hannah’s response as well as the outcome of that response.

This will guide us in better understanding how we need to sometimes deal with

 the quadruplets of pain, suffering, hardships and trials.