Hannah: Blessed for Her Poor Spirit~KD Richards
The portion of Scripture we call the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) has always been a favorite among believers. Both Matthew 5 and Luke 6 describe the happy (blessed) attitude that a believer should display to the world and among her fellow sisters in Christ. We will begin a Bible study that compares each “attitude” with a character study of a woman who exemplified that “attitude” in her situation in life. It is always easy to think of these women as having an exemplary spiritual life because they lived during Bible times. The truth is that they had it much harder than we do. Think of all of the conveniences that we have. These women faced hardship that we will never know, yet they honored God, and God blessed and honored them (I Samuel 2:30).In today’s world, we must also learn to apply these “happy attitudes” to our daily lives. The world encourages us to whine and complain. The world teaches women to focus on their rights. The world distracts us from the true power: the power of prayer.
Before you study, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the lessons that He would have you learn. You will get as much out of this study as you put into it. I encourage you to get a notebook of some sort and to record the things that the Holy Spirit teaches you. Don’t forget to PRAY that the Holy Spirit will teach you.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 5:3
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Luke 6:20
Word Study:
- Blessed: the Greek word makarios means happy, prosperous, or successful
- Poor in Spirit: ptochos, poor, means needy or humble; pneuma, spirit, means breath or disposition
- Kingdom: basileia means royal power
- Heaven: ouranos means eternity. Or, in Luke 6, it is interpreted kingdom of God.
Being “poor in spirit” concerns your opinion of yourself. A woman who is truly “poor in spirit” sees herself in her desperate need for God. This viewpoint releases you from the bonds of pride and selfishness, to total dependence upon the Holy Spirit. The following verses give us God’s view of the “poor in spirit.”
Record your findings.
I Samuel 2:8 Psalm 12:5
Psalm 102:17 Isaiah 29:19
Job 5:16 Psalm 35:10
Psalm 140:12 Luke 4:18
Job 34:19 Psalm 68:10
Proverbs 19:1 James 1:9-10
Psalm 9:18 Psalm 72:12
Proverbs 28:11 James 2:5
Although poverty does not always imply God’s judgment, financial poverty is not the virtue that Christ is commending. As a matter of fact, the Bible speaks much about being poor as a result of drunkenness, gluttony, laziness, and bad choices (Proverbs 23:21). Being poor in spirit is a virtue. This virtue causes us to realize how great God is, and how needy we are for His power. Only with this perspective can we truly have the blessings and victory that God intends for us to experience. The success and fulfillment that each one of us desires as a woman is right at our door—God gives us the choice.
The Story of Hannah is a beautiful picture of the “poor in spirit.” Her story is found in First Samuel 1:1- 2:21. Read through her story and write down her situations and her responses from the following passages. Be sure to ask the Holy Spirit to direct your study and teach you all the things that He would have you learn:
Verses: Situation & Response
1:1-5b
1:5c-8
1:9-18
1:19-22
1:23-28
2:1-10
(compare to Luke 1:46-55)
2:18-21
Hannah was a woman who had become desperate to see God work. She knew that there was nothing in her that could solve her problem, and her grief before God signified that she was “poor in spirit.” (I Samuel 1: 15: “I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit.”) Hannah had become totally dependent upon God. Notice that the result of her Goddependence was that God answered her prayer and rewarded her faith. That is the essence of faith: Goddependence. You and I will face countless situations in life that are beyond our ability to navigate, yet the Lord has made ample provision for victory and power through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, we often wait, like Hannah, until we are absolutely desperate before we throw our dependence upon Him.
God wants you to depend on Him now for every step of your life. Are you facing the difficulty of raising a rebellious child? Are you tempted to be bitter in your marriage relationship? Are financial woes plaguing your household? Why not choose to be “poor in spirit,” and acknowledge your total dependence upon God to meet every need? Galatians 2:20 tells us to let Christ live his life through us. Has it ever occurred to you that Christ experienced complete victor and amazing power in everything He did? Has it also occurred to you that He is just waiting to live that life through you if you will surrender your will and by faith ask Him to do it day by day, moment by moment?
Praise the Lord for Hannah’s example to us all! Her simple dependence on God produced a humble heart,free from bitterness toward God or toward Penninah. (Imagine how hard that was!) Her humility allowed God to bless her—for hers is the kingdom of Heaven. Is yours?
