The God Who Remembers!

Have you ever felt forgotten by God?

In this encouraging episode of Real People Real Talk, we explore the powerful story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 and discover that God's silence is never His absence. When Scripture says, "The Lord remembered Hannah," it means God moved in His perfect timing—not that He had forgotten her.

If you're waiting on an answered prayer, walking through a difficult season, or wondering if God still sees you, this message will remind you to keep trusting, keep worshiping, and keep waiting well. The same God who remembered Hannah is the same God who remembers you.

Transcript

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Welcome to Real People, Real Talk

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Welcome and thanks for tuning in to Real People Real Talk. Relevant conversations that take you from surviving to thriving. This is the podcast that goes there. My name is Paul Calco, and I'm your host. Now let's talk. Well, hello, Thriver, and welcome to Real People Real Talk, the podcast ministry that equips you to thrive spiritually, relationally, and mentally. And today's episode is all about thriving in your walk with the Lord. So let's get to it, shall we? One of the worst feelings in the world is feeling forgotten. Have you ever felt forgotten or left out? Maybe a person was thinking a list of people that helped them along the way, and they failed to mention your name, even though you helped them tremendously. Or maybe you had a birthday or anniversary and nobody called, nobody texted, nobody checked on you, nobody congratulated you. Listen, here's the harsh reality. People will often forget about you, but God will never forget you. His memory never fails. And in spite of how you feel, and in spite of how difficult this current season of life may be, I want to encourage you today. I want to encourage you by letting you know that you are not forgotten because we serve a God who remembers. With that introduction to mind, I want to preach to you today with this sermonic episode from the subject of the God who remembers. Now I'm going to read for you 1 Samuel chapter 1, verses 1 through 20. And this is the best part of the sermon because it is God's word. So I want you to listen, lock in, and journey with me through these verses. So verse 1 introduces us as Echanai. And pick up at verse 2. He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other was Panah. And Panah had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man used to go up from year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shalo, where the two sons of Eli, Hophne and Phineas, were the priests of the day. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Panah his wife and to all his sons and daughters, but to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. And I want to pause before I go on with the rest of these verses. The same God that closes is the same God that opens. And so although the Lord had closed her womb, he still has the power to open it. So all that to say, like, just keep your faith in God. Don't give up on him. Don't turn your back on him. Because at the end of the day, he has all power in his hand to change what needs to be changed, to do what needs to be done. So keep the faith, keep trusting in him. And verse 6, and her rival used to provoke her and to irritate her because the Lord had closed her womb. And just like Hannah, you may have some panayas in your life. People that just irritate you and they can't see what God is about to do in your life. And so please don't allow those people to get you off track.

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You stay focused on the Lord. Picking up at verse 7. So it went on year by year, and as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Listen, in spite of what Hannah was going through, she was still faithful in coming to the house of the Lord. In the midst of her tears, in the midst of her barrenness, in the midst of her waiting on God to answer her prayer, she still stayed close to the Lord. And you may be in the season of barrenness. Maybe you're actually waiting on a child, or you're waiting on an answer to prayer, or just waiting for a promise to be fulfilled. It's crucial that you maintain your connection to the Lord. Verse 8. And Echinah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons? After they had eaten and drunk and shallow, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly, talking about Hannah. And she vowed a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a sum, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life. No razor will touch his head. So we see if you make a vow to the Lord, make sure you keep that vow to the Lord. And I just want to say here, have you ever prayed this particular prayer where you said, Lord, if you get me out of this, I promise you I'll do XYZ. And let me just be your reminder on today. If you have made a prayer like that, said a prayer like that, made a vow like that, asking, you know, Lord, if you get me out of this, I'll do XYZ. And the Lord got you out. Let me remind you to do XYZ. Do what you promise to the Lord, amen. Picking up verse 12. And she continued praying before the Lord. Once again, we see no matter what Hannah was going through in her barrenness, in her season of waiting, she maintained her connection to the Lord. As we see here, she's in the house of the Lord, praying and seeking after the Lord. Be like Hannah. So Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart, only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, How long will you keep home peeing drunk? Put away your wine. But Hannah answered, No, my Lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation. Then Eli answered, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him. And what Eli said to her, I want to say that to you, go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him. And verse 18. And she said, Let your servant find favor in your eyes. Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. Here's the two key verses. They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord. Once again you see that constant thing of Hannah standing close to the Lord and seeking after God in every season of her life. They rose early in the morning and worshiped the Lord. Then they went back to the house at Ramah, and Echinah knew Hannah's wife, and the Lord remembered her. Verse 20, you've been good. You've locked in. Here we are. And in due time, man, if he was in church, I'd say you touch your neighbor and say, due time. But in due time, Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, I have asked him from the Lord. The word of God for the people of God. Now, when the Bible says that the Lord remembered her, it doesn't mean that God forgot Hannah and suddenly he's like, Oh, yeah, I just remembered, you know, I made this promise to her. I just remember she existed. No, because God never forgets. God is omniscient and he knows all things. In scripture, when we see the word remember, that means that God is about to act on behalf of his people. It means that he moves. It means that he intervenes. It means that he will always fulfill what he promised. It means that the appointed season has arrived whenever we see that phrase and the Lord remembered. For years Hannah had been praying. For years Hannah had been crying. For years Hannah had been waiting. But this one day, this point in time in history, God remembered her. So let me encourage you with these words. Just because God hasn't shown up yet, it doesn't mean that he's not on the way. And it definitely doesn't mean that he has forgotten about you. As a matter of fact, just because you don't see him moving, it doesn't mean that he's not moving. God is at work right now orchestrating and lining things up behind the scenes in your favor and on your behalf. I hope you believe that and receive that. Amen. Now God remembered Hannah then, and he will remember you now. The first thing I want to point out to you this morning is that God will also remember you in your low places. We see this in the book of Psalms, Psalms 136 and 23. It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever. He remembered us in our lowest state. When you were weak, when you were hurting, when you was in pain, God still remembers. And that's good news because some of you may be in a low place right now. Maybe you're in a low place emotionally and in your mental health. Maybe you're in a low place or even a dry place spiritually. Maybe it's a low place financially, even a low place in your marriage or in your family or your relationships, or maybe it's a low place in your health. That's the news that you didn't want to hear from the doctor. But God specializes in meeting people in low places. This God that we serve, not only is he the God that remembers, he's the God that specializes. You may say, specialize in what? Good question. Here's the answer. God specializes in doing the impossible. God specializes in making a way out of nowhere. God specializes in showing up for his people. He found Joseph when Joseph was in prison. He found Jonah in the belly of a fish. He found Israel in Egyptian bondage. He found Shatterak, Meshach, and Abednigo in the fiery furnace. And he can find you and he will find you because

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God knows exactly where you are. God doesn't have amnesia. He hasn't forgotten your address. He knows exactly where you are and knows exactly what you need. So not only does God remember us in our low places, God also remembers his promises. Let me break that down. Point number two, God remembers his promises. We see in Numbers chapter 23, verse 19, where it says these words, God is not a man that he should lie, not a son of man that he should repent. Has he said, will he not do it? Now, people often make promises they simply cannot keep. But God only makes promises that he intends to fulfill. Hear me out. People may change, your circumstances may change, the weather definitely changes, our government, society, and culture changes, but God changes not. He's immutable. In other words, there's no need for change when perfect, just like our God. So if God said it, he would do it. If he promised it, he will perform it. If he spoke it, he'll bring it to pass. Don't allow the simple passage of time to convince you that God has forgotten about you. Maybe you wanted God to answer this prayer years ago, but he still hasn't. I want to encourage you to keep the faith, my brother. Maybe you've been praying for such a long time and praying and fasting and waiting, and God still hasn't showed up. I want to encourage you today, my sister, don't give up on God. In due time, God will do whatever needs to be done. And listen, if you find yourself in a waiting season, you're in good company. Abraham and Sarah, they waited on the Lord. Joseph waited on the Lord. Hannah waited on the Lord because it was Abraham and Sarah, they were waiting on the son. And Joseph, he's waiting to be delivered out of bondage. And of course, Hannah was also waiting on the birth of a child. But God's delays are never God's denials. The clock may be moving slowly from your perspective, but God is still on schedule. Let me say that again. The clock may be moving slowly from your perspective, but God is still on schedule. Because this God that we serve, he never runs late. As the saying goes, we serve an on-time God. He may not be here when you want him, but I guarantee you he'll be here right on time. And as you're waiting on the Lord, I want to encourage you to wait well. One of the hardest things in this Christian life is waiting. Man, I do not like waiting. When I go to fast food restaurant, hey, I want that food ASAP. When I get on my laptop or use my phone and I want my internet to work immediately or get an oil change. We even see that in culture, five-minute oil change. We want everything now. We don't like waiting. I don't like waiting. But waiting is necessary. And so once again, one of the hardest things in this Christian life is waiting. Not because we don't believe that God can do it, but because he wants him to do it now. Actually, we want God to do it right now, if we're being honest. And I just got to trust, we have to trust God's way, God's will, and God's timing. Listen, anybody can praise God after the breakthrough. Anybody can worship after the answer comes, but can you worship while you're waiting? Can you trust and obey and serve him while you're waiting? Can you continue seeking after the Lord while you are waiting? Can you show up to his house faithfully serving him and living in community with God's people while you are waiting? Isaiah 40 and 31 says this, but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and shall not faint. In the waiting, God strengthens. In the waiting season, God prepares. So whatever God is trying to do in your life, in your heart and spirit right now, allow that work to be done. Because your waiting will not be in vain. So wait well. Listen, once again, I'm preaching from the subject that we serve the God that remembers. And you may have tears that nobody sees. You may even have grief that nobody knows about. But please know that God has not forgotten about you. You may be going through a rough past in your marriage right now, but the Lord will remember. You may have received some bad news

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this week, but the Lord will remember. You may be experiencing some issues in your body, but the Lord will remember. You may have some overdue bills right now and can't see a way out of this debt, but the Lord will remember. Let me say that one more time. No matter what your specific set of circumstances may be, I want to encourage you to keep the faith because the Lord will remember. So don't fret, don't worry, don't doubt, because we serve a God that remembers, a God who's a word keeper and a way maker, a God that's a miracle worker, a God that's able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we actually think, a God who will work it all out for your good and for his glory. Let me say that one more time. We serve a God that will work it all out for your good, but also work it all out for his glory. Now look back at first Samuel chapter 1, verse 27 and 28. After God answered Hannah's prayer, she did something quite remarkable. Verse 27. For this shall I pray, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord. And he worshiped the Lord there. If you keep reading to chapter 2, verses 1 through 10, you will see that Hannah took her time and expressed her praise and worship and adoration to God in prayer. So, yes, the Lord remembered Hannah. But as you see from these two verses, Hannah also remembered the Lord. And that's where many people fail. Some people they pray faithfully until God answers, and then they disappear. They may stop serving, they may stop coming to church, they may stop seeking after God. And I want to encourage you with this word, or rather admonish you with this right here. Listen, when God brings his promise to pass in your life, and when he answers your prayer, don't you dare forget about him. Don't you dare forget about God. Don't you dare turn your back on him, but rather keep on seeking God, keep worshiping him, keep obeying, keep coming to church, keep fasting. Because you should not allow the blessing to create distance between you and the blessed servant. On the contrary, when God shows up and fulfills his promise, our response should be the same as Hannah's. And that is worship. So yes, God has remembered you, and you need to remember God, but let's take it one step further. I want to encourage you to remember God's resume. In other words, when you're waiting on God, remember his track record, amen. Uh-huh. Remember Daniel and the lion's den? Uh-huh. God showed up. Remember the three Hebrew boys and the fire? Uh-huh. God showed up. Remember, Lazarus was dead in the grave, and God showed up. Remember Sarah? We talked about her earlier in Genesis 21, verses 1 through 2. It says, And the Lord visited Sarah as he has said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken. God showed up and did exactly what needed to be done. God showed up and did exactly what he promised. Remember the Israelites? He brought them through the wilderness by doing miracle after miracle after miracle. Water from a rock, a miracle. Rain down manna from heaven to feed them, a miracle. Split the Red Sea and they walked on dry ground, not mud, but they walked on dry ground, a miracle, and so much more. And the same God that showed up for them is the very same powerful God that will show up for you right now. This God that we serve has a perfect record. Once again, remember his resume. He has a perfect record. God has never failed, he has never lost a battle, he has never broken a promise. God never forgets. So God has remembered you, and you should remember God. You should remember his resume. And lastly, remember his character. That's who he is, that's part of his character. In other words, God always keeps his word, he always fulfills his promises. Have you ever, you know, throughout life made a mistake and said, oops? Well, God hasn't. Have you ever said something like, man, I didn't see that coming? Well, God hasn't. Because God is sovereign. Nothing catches him by surprise. Nothing is outside the bounds of his power and control. And nothing is too hard for God. Yes, even that thing that may come to mind right now, that's not too hard for the Lord. So God is faithful, God is sovereign, and God is also perfect. The Bible declares that he is perfect in all his ways. His timing is perfect, his plan is perfect. What God is doing may not make sense right now. It may not make sense today, but one day you'll look back and realize that God was at work in your favor all along. So keep the faith, my brother, and keep the faith, my sister. Because the same God that remembered Noah, the same God that remembered Sarah, and for our passage today, the same God that remembered Hannah, He's the very same God that will remember you. And because he remembers you, you can trust him. Because he remembers you, you can worship him. Because he remembers you, you can wait on him, you can believe him. All because we serve a God who remembers. Amen. And amen. Well, thank you so much for tuning in today. If you like what you heard today, be sure to share this episode with a few friends. And until next time, go be all that God has called you to be.