Positioning Yourself for God’s Provision

Like a good Father, God has blessings stored up for you. Some of those blessings naturally flow from the relationship you have with Him through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus. Yet, I believe some blessings that God has for us we will never experience unless we position our heart and faith in the proper position before Him.

Let me give you an example. 1st Peter 5:6 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”

If I am going to experience the mighty hand of God lifting me up, I first must humble myself before Him. Let me be clear about something here. This is not a “salvation” issue. We know that we are saved by grace through faith alone. We are talking about positioning ourselves before God so that He may impart whatever blessing or provision He desires. If you are like me, one of my deepest desires is to not hinder whatever work God wants to do in and through my life. I want to position myself so that I can be a vessel for His use. How about you?

Let’s take a moment and look at how a husband and wife positioned themselves for the provisions of God. Elkanah and Hannah’s remarkable story is found in the Old Testament book of 1st Samuel. This duo experienced God do more than they ever hope or imagine.

4 Steps in Positioning Your Life for God’s Provision

1. Pursue God Persistently!

2. Pray til your get Peace!

3. Turn your Prayers into Praise!

4. Position yourself through Passionate Surrender!

For this week, let’s dive into the first step, Pursuing God Persistently!

1st Samuel 1:1-3 ~ Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham,…And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also, the two sons of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

Notice that in verse 1 how it states a “certain man” before it ever lists the name of Elkanah. Why is that? Could it be because anyone can be that “certain man” or that “certain woman.” God is looking for someone who will pursue after Him. God is looking for you to pursue Him.

Gaze into the character of this man, Elkanah. He went up to the city of Shiloh every year to offer sacrifices to God and to worship. This is important. He would have had to make preparations annually. He would have had to take time off, make sure his responsibilities were taken care of and even saved up the resources to provide for him and his family while he was on his journey.

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Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

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Not only did Elkanah prepare year after year to pursue after the presence of God, but he also did so without being distracted or disturbed by the spiritual condition of those around him. Verse 3 lists the names of the sons of Eli, the Priest. Hophni and Phinehas were known to be wicked young men in the Temple. Elkanah could have made the excuse so many do. He could have said, “I’m not going to the Tabernacle this year, those hypocrites, Hophni and Phinehas will be there.” But he didn’t. Elkanah knew that if he was going to position himself for the provisions of God, it would require persistence on his part.

You cannot allow yourself to be distracted or disturbed by those around you. The only person you can control is yourself. You don’t live out your faith based on the spiritual condition of others. You aren’t accountable for them, you are accountable for yourself.

Set your heart on the pursuit of God’s presence. Take charge of your spiritual health. Pursue after God persistently and don’t allow yourself to be swayed by those around you!

I love the meaning of Elkanah’s name.

Elkanah means = “God has created…taken possession”

God has created you. He knew you before you were even formed in the womb (Psalm 139). He has a plan for you (Jeremiah 29: 11). He offers you eternal life (John 6:47). He promises to fill you with His presence (John 14: 16-18). He has gifted you to make a difference (Ephesians 2:10). The question is, have you allowed Him to take possession of you?