Not Forgotten

This week I'm revisiting the life of Hagar (Genesis 16). She is one of my favorite women in Scripture, yet one of the most overlooked persons of faith. For her, life became more than she could bear; it was a weight too heavy to carry. She felt alone and abandoned, but in her time of despair, God spoke to her personally and let her know she was not forgotten. The moment she realized that God saw her, her outlook drastically changed. Hope filled her heart, renewing her desire to press on.

From her story I’m reminded of the tender love, mercy, and grace, and ever-watchful eye of our Father above. From His throne room in Heaven He sees our hearts break. He notices our hardships and the trails we face. Our tears prompt Him to action, and He catches everyone. He tenderly calls our name and says, “I’m right here. When you feel all alone, just open your eyes and you’ll see Me close beside you.” Only when we recognize that God is with us, do we experience His healing, hope, and peace. The real difference in our lives comes when we see that He sees us.

Genesis 16:13, “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.'”

Psalm 34:18, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Our Light

Though the world seems to spin out of control, God remains the same. He is our constant source of stability and strength. He is where our hope lies. In the midst of darkness, He is our Light.

James 1:17, “ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Covered

As I walked through the park this glorious morning, a wooden structure in the middle of the grass caught my attention. Upon closer investigation, I noticed it was covering a fragile little sprout. Someone had obviously placed this make-shift fortress here to guard and protect the fledgling tree from harm, giving it a chance to establish roots and reach maturity. I immediately saw a parallel between the tree, and God and me. As God’s children, we are all covered with His love and protected by His sturdy strength. Under His attentive care we can sink our roots deep into The Savior, and gain nourishment from the countless promises revealed in His Word. Covered in God’s love we’re able to grow and mature and flourish into all that He has planned. We’re covered from our first moment of belief, until Jesus returns or calls us home. And on that day, seeing Him face-to-face we’ll finally reach our full maturity and stand before Him in perfect completion.

Covered, under the care of God’s watchful eye is where our growth occurs. It’s where we not only survive, but where we fully and abundantly thrive.

Psalm 52:8, “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.”

Psalm 91:4, “He will cover you with feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."

A Necessity

Meeting with a group of friends on a regular basis for Bible study, prayer, and fellowship may sound like a frivolous luxury, but for myself it’s a definite necessity. These gatherings hold me accountable, keep me in the Word, and quite honestly, they improve my demeanor making me a nicer girl. Getting together with like-minded women fills me up with God’s goodness, causing me to overflow with His goodness in other areas of my life. God calls us each to journey with Him, but also recommends finding companions for the ride. His desire and design is for us to be in community with others who love Him as much as we do. Ask God to lead you to a group, or send some traveling friends your way. Whenever you all come together, He’ll be there too, right by your side.

Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

In His Hands

This topsy turvy world is full of unpredictable uncertainty, and despite our best efforts and well laid plans, we don’t really know exactly what each day will hold. When chaos comes creeping there’s no need to despair—remember, we know the One who calls light out of darkness, and holds our day in His Hands.

The key to our hope is not in what the day holds, but Who holds the day.

Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; ² for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.”

Dandelion Prayers

I came across this field full of wishes just waiting to fly; by turning them into prayers I give wings and power to my dreams.

A silly excitement bubbles up inside me whenever I come across a Dandelion. To me it’s a flower that represents hope. When I was a child, I made wishes on them, but through the years I have learned to make prayers on them. You see there is a big difference between wishes and prayers: wishes blow aimlessly in the wind while our prayers are carried on the wings of angels into the throne room of God Almighty. Each time I hold a Dandelion between my fingers, I marvel at how something can be so simple, yet so wondrously complex at the same time.  And as I reflect on the fact that God made this precious flower, I am filled with hope and confidence. I take a deep breath in, fill my cheeks with air, and blow out with a powerful whoosh.  I then watch as the tiny, white, cottony puffs float effortlessly up toward the heavens, whisking my thanksgiving, cares, and prayers upward to God, who receives it all.

Excerpt from my book, "A Daughter of the King."

The Bible uses other descriptions of our prayers reaching God in His throne room.

Revelation 5:8, “Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”

Revelation 8:2-4, “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. ³ Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. ⁴ The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.”

Easter in My Heart

Many years ago, my Grandma gave me a set of little white coffee mugs, with pastel hearts painted all around.  On the front is a painting of a young girl with pigtails in her hair, and a sweet smile on her face. Her hands are folded in front of her chest, as she kneels before the Lord in prayer. Written in black child-like font, are the words, “Dear Lord, Help me keep Easter in my heart all year.” These mugs are a reminder of a simple and powerful truth. Jesus died not just for one day a year, but for all the days of our life.

 The life-changing thing we must know, that one thing of utmost importance for us to understand, is the sacrificial love and faithfulness of Jesus. He was faithful unto death just to win us back. That’s a truth for us to keep ever-ready on our minds, not just each year when Easter rolls around. It is truly significant for every day. It is a truth to hold onto— It’s meant to greatly impact our lives, our choices, our values, our identity, and our devotion. His loving sacrifice is the truth that turns Easter-time joy into everyday joy.

Gratefully reflect on the sacrifice of the Savior—let it transform your life, today, tomorrow, and all of eternity. 

John 19:28-30, " Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."