1 Samuel 1:9-11 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head." NKJV
The Anti-dote To Christian Cannibalism
Barren Hannah was desperate for a child and in her desperate prayer she promises to give the gift she hopes she shall receive, right back to God. Samuel is born and Hannah does indeed follow through on her vow.All children are of course gifts from God and it does a person good to both realise this and act on it, for these good gifts are always kept longer and remain far fresher to us, when they are dedicated right back to Him. Please note tonight that ANY gift selfishly consumed by us will in the end corrupt us and I tell you, this is especially true if we eat our children, consuming them in our own desires and making them the cherished idols of our hearts. If you are doing this, you had best watch out, for cannibalised children always give the very worst of stomach aches.
So following the blessed example of the Holy Family and of Hannah, give back your gift to God! Dedicate them to the Lord and remember that this dedication means a letting go of and a laying hold of.
As to letting go, you must remember that this child is not yours. It shall grow and shall become and in all of its becoming the child shall decide on so many things for itself, including whether or not they shall follow the Lord. You must have faith in letting the child of your care be found by the God that you love. Do all you possibly can to help them develop into who they are and then, let them go as your prayerfully deliver them to God.
As to laying hold, well, you must lay hold of Your God and of yourself. It is imperative that you grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the child becomes and as the child decides, you must lay hold of God on their behalf. You must also lay hold of yourself, for you must become a model of Godliness before them, a mentor of graciousness and hope, a mother of love, prayer and care, a father of manly courage, wisdom, perseverance and provision. The child will become and will make its own decisions, you are not responsible for this. However, you are greatly responsible for laying hold of both God Himself and of you yourself!
So, whatever you do tonight, do not selfishly consume your kids, yes, you must not eat your children.
Listen: - "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NKJV)
Pray:- O Lord we cast down our idols, even if they are our most dearly beloved children. So help us to leave them with Your good discipline and Your love and Your care, yes, this we do tonight with both hope and faith in Your faithfulness. Now O Lord, we lay hold of Your goodness and lay hold of ourselves to walk with You, as models and mentors of the Christ-like life, lived before the gifts You have so graciously granted us. Amen and amen.
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