The heart of a husband

Elkanah’s Breakthrough

Elkanah was married to Hannah. He really loved her, but he was frustrated because he couldn’t give her that which she wanted most, a child.

He worked hard. He was a good provider. He worshipped God. He took care of his children. He also felt her pain and hurt over not being able to have a child. Elkanah felt helpless for not being able to give her a child. He tried to make up for what he couldn’t do by going overboard in the things that he could. Elkanah hated seeing his wife so upset. She was crying so much and that disturbed him. One day he asked her why she was crying so much and why she wasn’t eating. He asked her why her heart was grieved. He tried so hard to make her happy but just couldn’t. He then asked her “Am not I better to you than ten sons?’ Having a son was a precious commodity. A male child was considered the highest of all blessings in the Jewish community. Elkanah did all he could to make his wife happy, but she could only focus on what she didn’t have.

1. Have you ever tried to make someone happy and couldn’t?

2. How did that make you feel?

3. Have you ever done the very best you could in any relationship only to find that your best was not good enough?

4. Have you ever desired to be all someone needed instead of allowing God to fill those voids in their life?

Food for thought:

As human beings no matter how much we love someone we can never be all they desire us to be. No matter how much we love them we can only give them what we can give them and we cannot give them what only God can give them. We must learn to be okay with that. That doesn’t mean that we are not good, even excellent. It means that we are simply human. We will falter. We will make mistakes. We will miss the mark. We will be insufficient. We will sometimes fail. Our job is to always look to Jesus.

So often we get frustrated trying to please others beyond our abilities. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to please those who are depending on us. We should try to please them. But it means simply that we have limitations; that we are human beings.

We cannot be effective if we allow our fears to rule us. Fear of failing someone we love can cause us to make promises we cannot keep and exaggerate things to make ourselves look big In their eyes. Fear will even make you tell lies rather than be honest about your limitations. Fear will cause us to ask others to lie for us so we don’t have to face the consequences that will come. Abraham lied because he was fearful. He asked Sarah his wife to lie, also. (Genesis 12:11-13)., (Genesis 20:2).

We cannot be so afraid of failure that we set unrealistic goals and expectations for ourselves. We must be secure enough in Christ to say, “Let’s pray about it and see what God will help us to do. We must put God at the helm of all our situations. He is the only one who can do the impossible.

There may be situations in your life and in the lives of those you love that warrant a miracle. Don’t be afraid to ask God for it. And it doesn’t matter how many times he’s done it before he will do it again for you just because you ask. You have not because you ask not James 4:2.

Talk to God now about the things others expect of you and tell him how you are powerless to bring it to pass without Him. When others press you for miracles, press God. Go to God together saying let’s pray about it. This takes the pressure off you and puts it where it really belongs on Jesus. Pray right now for the miracle you need. Repent to God for thinking you could take his place and do only what he can do. Confess to him any sins you have committed including your fleshly desire to be all things to those who need you. Commit to trusting him instead of your own abilities. Rest in his promise to provide for you. In Jesus name.

Elkanah’s breakthrough came when God answered his wife’s prayers. He learned that God was on the throne and that he could never nor should he ever take the place of God in Hannah’s life.

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink: or wherewithal shall we be clothed:

For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Matthew 6:31-32.