The God Who Sees and Hears Me

A Christian thought to ponder...

How many of you believe that God sees you and hears your cries and pleas for help? The Bible reminds us time and time again that our best recourse in times of trials is to place our hope and trust in Him. To call out to Him. 

In Genesis 16, we learn about the servant Hagar. Some would believe that there is no lesson or truth to be learned in this part of scripture, but I tend to disagree. After all, why would God include Hagar in Scripture, if there was nothing to be learned or to be remembered?  I find this part of scripture very enlightening and valuable in teaching us to place our hope and trust in God. 

Genesis 16 

Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. 7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11 And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” 13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. 15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

We do not fully know what was the customs of during Abram's time as far as the treatment of servants and the servants' roles, but when one reads the passage, it is easy to assume that Sarai was a little too harsh with Hagar. Perhaps she let her emotions control her, which would explain such harsh treatment against Hagar. However, Hagar was no innocent in the situation, and her contempt towards Sarai showed a lack of respect towards her mistress. Her treatment of her mistress was wrong. But, Sarai showed little faith or trust in God when she asked Abram to lie with her servant. In fact, neither Abram nor Sarai trusted God in giving them a son, for they took matters into their own hands by involving Hagar even though God told them that they would have a child. God tells them in Genesis 15 that they will have a son.

Genesis 15

4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

Abram and Sarai focused on themselves, their needs, their desires, and their timing. Instead, they should have focused on trusting God and His promises and His perfect timing. As a result, Ishmael was born a wild donkey man whose hand would be against everyone, and he would live in hostility toward all his brothers.

Hagar's son's name, Ishmael, means, "God hears," a reminder not only to Hagar then but to all of us that despite all of our troubles, and afflictions God hears our pleas, our cries, and our prayers. Even though God sent Hagar back to Abram and Sarai, she now had God, Abram's God, to see her through difficult times. Because God looked after Hagar, she did something no one else in all of Scripture ever did. She gave God a new name, “God who sees.” ~ ’El ro’i. God sees you. Hagar witnessed God's mercy, love, and promise. A promise that He would multiply her offspring. She would have more descendants than she could ever count. Hagar humbly submitted to God by obeying Him and recognizing that He was in control, and so she returned to Sarai and submitted to her. 

In Genesis 21, we see Sarah's emotions take hold of her heart, and she tells Abraham to cast Hagar and Ishmael out when she sees Ishmael laughing. Cast out into the wilderness of Beersheba with little water and bread, Hagar and Ishmael cry out. They are dying from thirst. God hears their voices and saw Hagar's tears. He rescues her and Ishmael by showing her a well so that they may have water. 

Genesis 21

8 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. 10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” 11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

God heard their cries, and He saved them. God is our Rescuer, and He sees what you are going through. God hears our cries and pleas. He is merciful and loving. Let Him take the helm and place your hope and faith in Him. He doesn't promise we will not experience problems, but God does promise to work all things for our good and His will. He will never leave us or forsake us. Seek Him. Cry out to Him. He sees and hears you.

O ’El ro’i,

You are the God who sees us. You are our Rescuer. We can trust that you will care for us and help us when times seem grave. Thank you for the reminder in the passage of Genesis 16 and 21 about Hagar. A woman harshly treated and cast out but who showed us how You are the God who sees. We are so thankful for this passage that shows us how you are faithful, true, caring, loving, and how You keep your promises. Hagar found hope in Your promises. She found her Rescuer. You opened her eyes, and she saw Your mercy and love. Help us to place our hope and trust in You, in good times or bad times. 

Amen.

Pray you all have a blessed week!

Carol

Are You Ready for the Battle?

image by pixabay

 

A Christian thought to ponder...

In America's culture, Christians have had it pretty easy, as compared to Christians living in China, Nigeria, or some other red-flagged country where hostility and persecution towards Christians is a common occurrence. There are 52 countries where the Bible is illegal to have in possession or you are severely persecuted for having it in your possession. https://lovepackages.org/bibles-dangerous-illegal-covert/  Most of these countries are located in Africa and in the Middle East. There are no countries in the West that forbid or punish people with Bibles.

But since the onset of COVID-19, Christians in the West have had their religious liberties under attack by the far left's progressive Marxist ideology and agenda. Christians in Finland, Australia, Canada, and Britain are being arrested for sharing their faith or for just opening their doors to their congregation. Christians are being punished or arrested for what the left deems "hate speech." It is the left's way to silence, censor and control anyone that has an opposite political position or goes against their agenda. For example, in Finland, Päivi Räsänen, a Lutheran politician was indicted for hate speech when she boldly proclaimed the Truth in her speech  and it was deemed discriminatory towards the LGBT community. https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/finland-persecutes-christian-lawmaker-paivi-rasanen/

A great battle is coming my Christian friends. The battle has arrived at your door. A battle that many of us were unprepared for as the enemy has a foothold in the media, in companies, in our youth, and in our politics. Many Christians have fallen asleep or drifted away and don't see the red flag warning signs that Jesus foretold. The current woke and cancel cultural stance towards Christians in the West is just the beginning. Jesus warned us of these things to come in Matthew 24:3-14

Signs of the End of the Age

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The signs of the end of the age are unfolding before our very eyes. The enemy is at work un-leashing his wicked and evil plan to destroy God's chosen people. We are his target. The bullseye is upon our backs. Are you ready to fight, dodge, and thwart those fiery darts the enemy has aimed at you? Are you geared up with the full armor of God? Are you ready for battle? We are told in Ephesians 6:10-20 how to prepare for the spiritual battle with the enemy. 

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

As it states in verses 18-20, we are to be constant in prayer, in the Word daily, and to be watchful. We need to stand firm in our faith and be strong and courageous. Just as Paul spoke the Truth boldly, we all need to share the Truth boldly as we are all ambassadors for Christ. Our bold words and work for the Lord will not be in vain, for somewhere a seed has been planted. We may not know which seed, but God does and He will help it thrive and grow.

Therefore since we know not what seed will sprout, we must stand strong, take courage, and be at peace even when the whole world tells you that they hate you because you are Christian. Be at peace because we know that Christ was victorious at the cross.  Be at peace because we know the end of the story.  Our redeemer is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. His Truth sets us free, not the world's truth and not the enemy's truth. Stand strong. Stand united. Be ready for battle with the whole armor of God.

Heavenly Father,

You are all powerful, faithful and true. Thank you for equipping us for battle. During these uncertain times, help us to remain steadfast in our faith, and to be strong and courageous. Help us to speak the Truth boldly to others, to have no fear and to trust completely in You. 

In Jesus' name. 

Amen. 

Pray you all have a blessed week!

Carol 

Trusting Jesus to Hold Us Up in Dark and Difficult Times

A Christian thought to ponder...

Today, our nation hangs on by a thread. Turmoil and chaos abound around our country. This chaos is fueled with evil, wickedness, and with a purposeful agenda. Chiefly, an agenda that is full of hate, power, divisiveness, and control. Executive order after executive order, our freedoms, and our rights are slowly disappearing. In fact, all of us are being pushed to depend upon the government, to let them make decisions for us, and to be controlled by them. 

To be controlled, one must be instilled with fear and propaganda. Hence, fear has taken hold of many people's lives. These fears and lies are being driven by the enemy who is using our government, our media, big tech corporations, and people with political agendas to drive these fears.

As to this agenda, I will not subject myself to any more lies, fear, and hate that the enemy is spewing forth across this nation and the world, but I will take a stand for the Truth. God's Truth. I will bow to no one or thing, but only to God my Lord and Savior. I will stand with my arms reaching out to my Lord God in heaven seeking His Truth, His guidance, and His peace. I will love all people of all races. In God's eyes, all lives matter. God loves all people. Not just African Americans, not just Caucasians, not just Native Americans, not just Asians, but God loves everyone.  He shows His love for us in John 3:16, 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." 

I will share this Truth boldly. I may be spitted upon, mocked, or even persecuted, but I know where my eternal reward lies...... in heaven with Jesus.

Many churches around the world can no longer worship and hold services. However, many churches have grown asleep. They no longer share the Truth. They no longer trust Jesus. They no longer sow seeds. We need to pray fervently that these churches will wake up from their slumber and share and speak the Truth.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, please do not focus on this world and all the present-day troubles. This world is not our home. Look to Jesus during these uncertain troubling times. Look to Jesus to calm our souls and hearts. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. The author of Hebrews tells us Jesus perfects our faith in Hebrews 12:1-2, 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne."  

Dark and difficult times can either make or break our faith. We need to remember this verse in Hebrews that Jesus endured the cross for you and me. Jesus Christ overcame the world, He is our Champion, and He is our Lord and King. As the world is falling apart around us, we need to keep our eyes focused on Him. We can be rest assured and trust that Jesus is by our side, and he will hold us up through these dark, difficult times.

O Lord,

You are the Author and Finisher of our faith. Help us to walk by faith and not by sight. Help us to fight the good fight and hold fast to our confessions of faith. Help us to share the Truth boldly without reservation. We thank You that You are with us during dark and difficult times, and that You are the light in this darkness that is spreading throughout the world.

In everything, we give You thanks, and we give You the glory.

In Jesus' name. 

Amen.

Pray you all have a blessed week!

In Christ,

Carol

Divided We Fall

Our country is more politically divided than ever, and with the onslaught of censoring, accusations, lies, incitement, fake news, the woke crowd, the cancel culture, and the condoning of domestic terrorism, a wedge of division has been driven into families, friends, co-workers, and even churches. The left side of the political spectrum believes they are right and the other side is wrong. On the other hand, the right side of the political spectrum believes they are right and the other side is wrong. 

In my opinion, neither side is right, as both sides fall short of being perfect. Only God's ways are perfect. But my question to you is which side-lines up more with Christ and with God's Word? Is it the right side or the left side?

Specifically, is it right to censor people because of their political or religious beliefs? Is it right to condone domestic terrorism, vandalism, and violence? Is it right to shun loved ones, friends, and co-workers because they do not want to get vaccinated or wear a mask or vice-versa? Is it right to censor someone because they dare to share a post that might disagree or differ from what you believe is true or fact? Is it right to tell someone they are a racist when they have never said or done anything racist in their entire life?

So the question is who is dividing who and why are they trying to divide us? The main culprit behind this division is Satan. Satan wants to divide and destroy us. He is using tactics, tools, and people to trodden us, divide us, and destroy us. Satan knows that a nation divided, will fall. He is circling our wagon train and we are in for a great spiritual battle.  

n the video by Olive Tree Ministries, "The Strategy? Deceive, Divide, Destroy", this spiritual battle is brought to light, and Christians need to beware of this purposeful division. Christians need to be sober, vigilant, and put on the armor of God. Satan has got his targets set on us and he is going to throw darts of division, fear, doubts, anger, jealousy, guilt, confusion, violence, and all forms of lawlessness our way.

So therefore, we must fix our eyes on Jesus and keep rooted in His Word. We must not let the enemy divide us or our churches.  As Paul tells the people in 1 Corinthians 1:10, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." Paul knew a church divided would fall right into the enemy's hands. A church divided shows that we are being controlled by our sinful nature. Division shows that we are living as people of this world. A world of people that is full of hate, cold hearts, unforgiveness, unkindness, impatience, immorality, and divisiveness. We must stand united in one mind and one body and live in a Christ-like manner.

For we, who are born again, live for Jesus. We should not condone any of this wicked behavior and division. The only division that should be clear is that we are showing that we are God's chosen people. 

Heavenly Father,

You are Sovereign and You are our Hope. We thank You for equipping us for battle and for giving us Your armour. Help us to stay rooted in Your Word. Help us to rest in Your strength and wisdom to help us in the oncoming spiritual battles. Help us to stand united in one mind and in one body and help us to hold fast to our confession of faith. 

In everything we give thanks and give You all the glory. 

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Pray you all have a blessed day!

Carol Moore