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

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

Forgive Others

 

Colossians 3:12-14 "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Loving and forgiving one another is one of the hardest tasks that God asks us Christians to do, and yet it is a very central part of our faith. As it says in Colossians 3:12-14, God calls us to love one another and to forgive one another. However, when one is experiencing pain, hurt, and brokenness, forgiving someone who has caused that hurt and pain doesn't seem fair. Pain, hurt, anger, and brokenness can chain one to the ground. It can bring discontent and unrest to one's soul and heart. There is a tendency to focus on oneself, elevating the unforgivable act that gives one no peace, no joy, and no contentment. Satan is good at manipulating and convincing people not to forgive, not let go of the bitterness and anger, and not let go of one's pride.

Pride is in bed with unforgiveness because it calls for one to admit that they have messed up and have wronged a person or that one has failed in forgiving a person. Bitterness and hatred can begin to grow and take hold of one's heart and soul, which in effect can hinder one from being a spokesperson for Christ and being an example of Christ. One must call on God to empower them to forgive. A person cannot truly forgive on their own strength, but only by God's strength can one forgive. Why? Because we are human, weak, and wretched. Place all of your pain, hurt, anger and brokenness into God's hands. Call on God to help you love and forgive those who have hurt you, and He will fill you with an amazing peace. Not only that, it will show others how Christ resides in you.

Remember what Christ said when he was dying on the cross in Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Even after everything the people put him through,(they mocked him, they spitted on him, they beat and flogged him, and they nailed him to the cross), he was still asking the Father to forgive them. Forgive, just as He has forgiven you. Let Him heal your shattered heart, wipe away your tears, and bring rest to your heart, soul, and mind.

Heavenly Father,

You are the Peacemaker, Trustworthy, Faithful, and True. You are loving, patient, and forgiving. Even though we struggle with obstacles of our sinful nature, such as forgiveness, that hinder us from serving you and being an example like You, You never stop loving us, and You are always there for us. Help us Lord, to place all of our pain, hurt, and brokenness into your hands. Give us strength and heal our hearts. 

In Jesus precious name,

Amen.

Prayer that you all have a blessed week!

Carol Moore

I Will Be With You

Even though you may be facing great, fiery trials, whether it be cancer that is spreading and growing throughout your body, financial hardships, or a broken marriage there is hope and joy in the Lord.

You may not think so, but you will find peace in the Lord, if you cast all your worries and doubts on to Him. The Lord cares for you and He loves you. NOTHING can separate you from the love of God.
Trust in Him. Draw upon His strength and guidance and He will walk you through the fiery dark trial. 

And you will find encouragement in His Word. The more you get to know the Lord, you will see that your worries, anxiety, and depression will diminish. And as your faith and trust grows in Him, you will realize that He has always been there and He will never leave you.

Do not let the enemy win. Do not let the enemy discourage you. The enemy wants to drag you down into the deep, lonely, dark waters, whereas, the Lord will see you through those deep, dark waters. He is your Light in the darkness as it says in Isaiah 43:2 " When you go through the deep waters, I will be with you"

Heavenly Father Lord God,
We ask that you would give people strength, trust, courage and hope to overcome the present battles that they face. Help keep the enemy at bay and prevent him from dragging people down into the dark areas that he loves to dwell in to weaken and destroy people. Help those struggling to have a desire to draw closer to You and to seek You during the dark trials of their lives. 

We ask this in Jesus Name.
Amen 

Staying Focused on God

photo sxc.hu

A Christian thought to ponder ...

There are times when I will worry about whether I said something wrong to someone or if I offended someone to the point where I will be stressed out about it all week. Sometimes, I focus so much on what people think about me and what I do or say that I take my focus off of the most important one – God. I have let the enemy distract me by focusing on myself, my insecurities, and my doubts. I have ignored the fact that I need to surrender all that stress and worry into God's hands. I need to let Him be in control. When I am so focused on myself, I set my faith and trust aside so, when I step into the water, I am not walking with Him, but I am sinking into the depths of the murky water, just as Peter did in Matthew 14: 25 – 31.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14: 25 – 31.

So, why do we doubt God? Why do we tend to focus on ourselves and not God? Why do we let all those minute events that take place daily in our lives take precedence over God?

It is because of our sinful nature that we focus on ourselves. Satan wants us to be distracted. He wants us to be at odds with one another, and Satan wants us to doubt. Satan wants us to have fear; and to question, judge, and condemn one another. Satan wants us to do everything that is the opposite of what God wants us to do. Satan wants to thwart God’s plans for humanity. The enemy wants us to focus on anything but God. He doesn’t want us to love each other, help each other, or forgive each other. The enemy wants hatred, bitterness, anger, doubts, and fear to harbor in our hearts instead of faith, trust, and love. If we were to just lay all those trivial daily events in our lives into our Lord’s hands, let him handle and take care of everything, and leap out into the waters with blinding love, faith, and trust, we CAN walk on the waters with Him through the storm.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for loving us. Thank you for reaching out to us despite our waves of doubts and fears. As we go about our daily lives, help us to stay focused on You. Help us to surrender all our troubles and worries to You and rest it all in Your hands. Help us to grow closer to You and develop a stronger relationship with You. Help us to be loving, kind, and forgiving towards one another. May Your love shine through each and every one of us each and every day.

I ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

God Bless,

Carol