How Spiritually Mature Are You?
The story of Hannah’s life is miraculous, and the results are amazing. But there is a story within Hannah’s story that is tragic. When Hannah prayed, she was confronted by Eli, the High Priest. As Hannah prayed, Eli rebuked her, because he thought she was drunk. But Hannah was not drunk; she was anointed with the presence of the Holy Spirit. She was abiding in that place of intimacy with God, where she no longer could speak her request with human words, but had to cry out to God, from the depth of her heart and soul.
Eli didn’t know what was happening within Hannah, because he apparently could not recognize the anointing of God upon her life. And that’s what makes this ‘story within the story’ so tragic. At the very moment when God was getting ready to open Hannah’s womb, so she and her husband could conceive a child together – a child who would become one of the greatest leaders Israel would ever know – the spiritually blind leader of Israel (High Priest), judged Hannah by the presumptions of his flesh, rather than by his knowledge of the Spirit.
It’s not good, when the one praying (Hannah) is more righteous, godly, and spiritually mature than the person leading the church (Eli). Such was the case with Hannah and Eli. Read the rest of this entry »
