2/21/14

From Gary... The GOD that sees....


Occasionally, you will see those "God says" signs by the side of the road.  I like them because I have always found them to just say little kernels of truth; and then I wind up thinking about them for hours.  This is one such sign. "I saw that" is not a direct quote from any passage of the Scripture that I know about, but it is true.  Consider the story of Hagar...


Genesis, Chapter 16
1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.  2 Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.  3 Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.  4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.  5 Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you.” 

  6  But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face. 

  7  Yahweh’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur.  8 He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you going?” 

She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.” 

  9  Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.”  10 Yahweh’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude.”  11 Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction.  12 He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers.” 

  13  She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?”

Also, if you have some extra time on your hands, you might like to read Psalm 139; it actually says more about the topic than this passage does.  

Hagar was a servant, but she became the wife of Abram and the mother of a great people.  Quite a step up for her!!!   Her problems led to an encounter with God AND a BLESSING!!!  Sometimes that's what it takes to get to know God better- problems!!!  I know this from personal experience and so I say "let whatever problems may come my way, let them begin now- so I can become even closer to the ruler of all the HEAVENS".  God sees, God understands, God cares and God WILL HELP IN TIME OF NEED!!!  Remember this last sentence, you may need it someday!!!  Maybe even today!!!!!!!