1 Samuel 1:6-7 (NKJV)

“And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable…So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.”

Provocation has only one goal, and that is to cause you grief and to make you miserable. And even when there is no need for provocation, your adversary will seek to provoke you to inflict emotional pain and grief on your soul. To be sure that someone is out to achieve their evil agenda, they will continue to repeat their wicked and provocative actions, until they are satisfied that you are sad and are beginning to lose a sense of hope and purpose.

Penninah had children while Hannah didn’t. It was, therefore, not necessary for Penninah to keep provoking Hannah because Hannah was not a threat to her. Yet, the wickedness of the adversary does not require a real threat to be provocative. Penninah wanted to see Hannah weep and grieve, which of course, she succeeded in doing. Don’t give the enemy his trophy. Why miss your meal because of the harassment of men. Keep your eyes on the throne room of God and wait for His verdict on your situation. Men cannot have the final say in your case. Only God can, and God will if you wait for Him.

“Lord, I will not lose my sleep or lose my meals because of the provocations of men. My hope is in You and You alone, my God and my King. Amen.”