Provocation, a blessing in disguise

Provocation can either drive one into the arms of God or the claws of the devil. It can push you into the blessing waiting for you on the other side or self-destruct your entire life or destiny. I believe we all have been provoked before and as long as we live we will inevitable experience it again. How do we respond in the light of the Word of God when we are provoked?

I Samuel 1:1-28

The miracle birth of the Prophet Samuel came out a situation of provocation, the strangest place that anyone can ever think a miracle can emerge from. Prophet Samuel’s mother Hannah was being provoked by her rival because she could not have a child; a deliberate act to stir up anger in her and to make her feel inferior or worthless.

The goal of any provoker is to push their victims to the edge of the cliff with the intention to kill every ounce of worth, stirs up self-hate, resentment against God and finally leaving them with a sense of hopelessness.

HANNAH'S STRUGGLE AND CHOICE

Hannah channeled all her emotions boiled up in her and the negative thoughts dominating her mind to God through prayer. I know her choice did not come natural or might not have been her initial choice.

Hannah chose well to allow God to fight her battles for her rather than she taking matters in her own hands. God fought her battles and gave her a miraculous victory that she couldn’t have achieved by herself. Hannah knew that children were gifts from God so instead of arguing and fighting with her rival she took her case before Almighty God. There is no case any child of God has lost when God Almighty presides over it.

OUR OWN STRUGGLE AND DILEMMA

Sometimes the pressures and painful experiences in life forces us to turn to God to birth out of us the treasures that had laid dormant for years or decades. It can also push us to be positioned for the blessings we long for or never knew it existed.

Our initial or natural response when provoked is retaliate, feel worthless or ashamed. Never fight or push in the direction of the source of your provocation but rather in the direction of God to help you defy them. The more closer we draw towards God and meditate on His Promises the lesser the power our provokers have over us. The best revenge is God setting a table before you in the presence of your enemies while they gloat in shame. In fact provokers are sometimes needed to push us to the next level or season of our lives. This unfavorable force can propel us into our God given destiny. Unavoidable provokers should not be feared neither should we allow them to intimidate us but rather use the opportunity as a tidal wave to surf to the highest point of our lives with the help of God.

Are you being provoked today by someone in your life? Instead of plotting a revenge choose Hannah's way. The best revenge is God’s revenge.

TURNING YOUR PROVOCATION INTO BLESSINGS

Let us review five ways Hannah dealt with provocation in the light of the truth of God so that we can learn to do the same.

WATCH YOUR FOCUS

Don’t spend all or much of your energy, thoughts and effort on the one provoking you or in their direction. This is a difficult course of action but it is worth it and better than the opposite. Your provoker or mocker is expecting a specific reaction from you, so don't fall for it. You confuse your provoker when you refuse to take their bait by choosing the very opposite of what our feelings may indicate.

TURN YOUR FOCUS TO GOD

A discipline to say the least but Hannah taught us something we should emulate whenever we encounter provokers in life. The more we keep our focus on God, the less significant our provokers become and their influence or control over our lives diminishes. Hannah cast all her burden to God who is able to save, a righteous judge who is able to exonerate her from the humiliation or accusation brought against her.

MAINTAIN YOUR FOCUS

Casting our cares to God is one thing but allowing Him to keep it without being tempted to take it back is another. Most of the time we feel God is too slow in bringing judgement in our favor. Although we all get tempted or seems to be unstable in our trust in God, but there no denial that God knows best and is able to handle the worst situations in life. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

PRAYER AND THE WORD OF GOD

I can’t imagine living in such close proximity with your mocker as Hannah did. But there is no indication in scripture how she behave towards her rival. I believe she chose not to dabble in the flesh like her provoker but decided to respond in silence or kindness. Instead of revenge or slandering her provoker in return, she decided to take the high road. She turned to God in prayer and reminding God about His Promises. Eli the High Priest mistaken her to be drunk during her earnest prayer to God. This shows how intensive and passionate her prayer was.

GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION

It is important to be grateful to God for the little and the great, seen and unseen goodness in our lives. This helps us keep our focus on Him and His faithfulness throughout the ages. Instead of accepting the lie that God has abandoned us or we are good for nothing, counting His blessings in our lives takes our eyes off ourselves and provokers to God.

Remember to return with thanksgiving when God does what you have asked and continue to keep unrelenting devotion to Him all the days of your life. Hannah dedicated her life and son to God. The same passion and devotion we showed needing God's help should be the same or more after we have our miracle.

God bless you.