Well, hi, thanks again for joining me for another edition of From the Pastor's Pen. My name is Pastor Carl Miller of Heritage Presbyterian Church in New Braunfels, Texas. And today's edition is entitled, Hannah's Triumph in God. And our focus text comes from 1 Samuel 2, verses two and three. And there we read, no one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides you. nor is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly. Let no arrogance come from your mouth, for the Lord is the God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed." Well, my friends, as you look at others around you day by day, you may wonder why God's providence appears to be so good to them, and yet you struggle. In such times, maybe you've been discouraged, asking him something like, why are they blessed with that and not me? I've been praying long for that, Lord, and have not received such blessing from your hands. Maybe you've fallen into depression where the darkness seems to surround you and the light of God's smiling countenance towards you seems so far away. Hannah knew this struggle well. She had such desire to have a son. We're told in 1 Samuel 1 verse 5 that her husband, Elkanah, loved her, although the Lord had closed her womb. Yet her rival, Peniah, Elkanah's other wife, provoked her severely because she was barren. And so, year by year, when Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, Paniah provoked her every time. And therefore, Hannah wept and didn't eat. We see this in 1 Samuel 1, verse 7. And yet, in God's perfect timing, and because of his blessing granted to Hannah, the words in our focus text came from her heart and out of her mouth as she prayed and sang to the Lord. Her words were prayer and song of thanksgiving as she had great joy because of God's grace to her in opening her once barren womb, giving her a son who was named Samuel. See this in 1 Samuel 1 verse 20. Samuel was a great servant of the Lord and Hannah also rejoiced because of God's salvation. 1 Samuel 2 verse 1. And in fact, she exclaimed that she smiled at her enemies because of such rejoicing. And further, her words were also a psalm of prophecy, as Hannah concludes in foretelling the coming Messiah as the king God would give strength to and the anointed that he would exalt the horn of. You see this in verse 10. This, of course, beautifully points us to the Lord Jesus Christ. and therefore, springing from the reason for her rejoicing, note the four divine attributes that Hannah focuses on as she thinks about God's sovereignty and grace to the humble. First, Hannah praises his unspotted purity as she proclaims the holiness of God. He is wonderfully separate and other. God is magnificent, transcendent, higher and superior to all that is in all of his creation. Moses exclaims that God is glorious in holiness. Exodus 15 verse 11. He is perfectly righteous, pure and true. Praise the Lord that there is no one like him. Praise God that he is holy like none other. There is none so perfectly unchangeably and constantly holy as God showed himself to be by his grace to Hannah. The same is true of him and his grace to you and me. Don't forget that. The thrice holy God both checks the proud and mighty and pleads the cause of his afflicted servants who trust in him. Hannah also proclaims there is none besides the Lord. Isaiah 45 verse 5. There are none equal to Him. There are none so holy as God is, as He is the one and only Holy One. And therefore, secondly, God is the only sure rock for His people. He is the only sure defense and refuge for all who flee to Him and trust in Him, like Hannah did. Moses again gives us marvelous words of how God revealed Himself and His attributes to His people. through what he did for them in bringing them out of Egypt in Deuteronomy 4, verse 35. To you, it was shown that you might know that the Lord himself is God. There is none other besides him. The Egyptians had their gods, but all of them were dead and lifeless, unlike the powerful, true and living God. In the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32, verse 31, Moses says our enemies even concede to our rock being unique, saying for their rock is not like our rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. But thirdly, considering these things, the enemies of Hannah and the enemies of Christ need to recognize God's omniscience and unsearchable wisdom. They needed to heed the call and shut their mouths. They had long uttered arrogant boasts, Psalm 94 verse 4. Literally, they gave hard speeches, and particularly here, Paniah did, about Hannah in her barrenness. Paniah, Elkanah's other wife, was one of these prideful people. for she boasted about having children when Hannah had none. However, their mouths must stop in the presence of the holy refuge that is the living sovereign God. Hannah raises a good reason for such silence, doesn't she? God knew Peniah's heart, 1 Samuel 16, verse 7. As he knows all of the pride and envy and contempt the enemies of God have for him, and all his people. But finally, see how Hannah's saying of God's unerring justice. God's infinite and complete knowledge is connected with his justice. The Hebrew communicates that God both ponders and tries all of men's thoughts and actions as the just judge. Solomon said it rightly in Proverbs 21, verse 2. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts. He will give to everyone according to their works, Romans 2, 5-11, including Paniah for hers. And therefore God had pity on Hannah in her humility and rebuked Paniah's arrogance. Beloved, never forget and take comfort that God's greatest blessings often come through difficulty. God has good planned for you in and through stormy seasons, even the one that you may be going through now. Hannah and her prayer and song of thanksgiving should be a good example to you today regarding your prayers and praise. When God answered her sincere, heartfelt prayer, she was quick to acknowledge His goodness and grace and rejoice in Him. Notice that she didn't have a, well, it's about time attitude. If she did, she would have been no better than Pania. No, she was humble and thankful for her Lord's gracious gift. She cherished it and rejoiced in the Lord. She prays His holiness, solace, wisdom, and justice. You should do the same. As you desire God to answer your prayers, be sure to take time to think about and then give Him your sincere thanks and praise for those petitions that He has already answered. For it is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to his name." Psalm 92, verse 1. Well, I hope that you're blessed by this devotion here today, and I hope that you'll join me again next time for another edition of From the Pastor's Pen. God bless you, and I'll see you then.