Why do we shift over to Hannah's prayer the day after the Ascension? The work of salvation is complete in the
ascension of Christ to the throne. When
He takes His rightful place and receives the worship of heaven it is as the
lamb looking like it was slain, He has completed the assignment and now takes
up the new role of intercessor for us.
The beginning of the end has come, now it is all over but the final
battle but the victory is won. Hannah
has simply borne a child, nothing more.
She was barren, probably for a long time, but the Lord has heard her
prayer for a child and now she exults not in that alone, but in all
things. Her faith is complete. He is creator, He is sustainer, He is
salvation. Read back over that prayer
and look at all that she affirms because she has a child and see where your own
faith needs to be strengthened.
The working of miracles in the Name of Jesus could indicate
only that someone was practicing magic and using His Name as their
incantation. The Name has power but the
sons of Sceva found that unless you know Him using it can be dangerous. Nonetheless, mighty things are possible by
the proclamation of the Name, Jesus, the Lord saves. Like Hannah, our lives are to be built on the
truth of that Name. If we stand on that
truth, we will not falter in storms because we aren't standing in our own
strength but His. If we believe that we
or someone else is responsible for our salvation in all things, we will fall
because no other strength is sufficient.
I can't save myself, I am not a righteous man, I fail to meet God's
standard of perfection, only Jesus has met that standard. Revelation 5 tells me that no one was found
under the earth (wherever that may be), on earth or even in heaven itself who
could meet that standard until that lamb looking like it was slain appeared
before the throne and then all eyes were on Him and heaven rejoiced at His
appearing, the long reign of sin and darkness was ending.
You were dead in your trespasses and sin. Not dying, not drowning, dead, at the bottom
of the ocean, no life was in you. You
couldn't have caught and held onto a life preserver if one had been
thrown. Jesus had to dive into the
depths, bring you back up, and give you life.
You were no less dead than Lazarus, and it could be said of you,
"He stinketh" and that stink was the stench of death. It is only by the mercy, love and grace of
God that you live in Christ. You were
incapable of responding, like the lump of dust into which God breathed the
breath of life and Adam became a living being.
The initiative was His to save you, the work was His to save you, you
have only faith and that itself is a gift from God. Is that truth worthy of praise to Jesus today?
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