Day 17 of 365...
Genesis 16-18
Key Passages/Thoughts:
Gen 16:13 - "So she named the Lord who spoke to her: The God Who Sees, for she said, 'Have I really seen here the One who sees me?'"
It is so encouraging to have the accounts where the Lord spoke to someone written down. All throughout Scripture we have instances where the Lord spoke to...fill in the blank. The other importance of this verse to me is that Hagar is aware of the fact that God sees her and everything she does. This is both humbling and encouraging. I have to admit that this scares me sometimes. God sees everything I do! I have heard this my whole life. However, the more I think about it and try to truly understand that statement, the more I realize that this should be motivation. There should be no fear involved. While I am ashamed of some of the things that God has seen me do, and some of the things I will inevitably do, that doesn't mean I should be afraid. God cares about me enough to watch over me. It is my own shame and pride that causes the fear. I pray that God continues to be the "God who sees" in my life, because, if He wasn't, there's no telling how bad things would be.
Gen 17:17-18 - "Abraham fell to the ground, laughed, and thought in his heart, 'Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?'"
Gen 18:11-12 - "Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. So she laughed to herself: 'After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?'"
Have you ever heard God tell you something and had the kind of reaction Abraham and Sarah had? There are times that God asks us to do some things that are off our radar, so to speak. There are also times that the things He asks of us bring about this same type of reaction...laughter. Almost as if we are asking God, "You want me to do what?" The funny part of this scenario, though, is that it is obviously God speaking because I would never have thought to do what was asked of me. It is in these moments that I am reminded of God's bigger plan. Then, the question that I'm faced with is, do I want to participate or not? It's quite humbling, actually. Although the request may be strange, God has asked me to be a part of what He is doing! It brings up a point that I talked about before ...why is it that I can't just say, "Yes" to God. No matter the question, the trial, the circumstance, why can't I just say, "Yes." God give me the courage to respond to whatever you ask of me in a way that would be pleasing to You. Help me not to question You and trust that Your ways are best for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment