Shema
CF Ambassador
An Emoji Devotional for Fri 19th Sept, 2021
Topic: The God who sees me is alive and well
by Pastor H. Wenger
Going through difficult times is a challenge for everybody and often times we are assuming in such situations that the Lord God has forgotten about us. The Holy Scriptures, however, teach us that God knows us and sees us in our brokenness and affliction. His love never fails; he will never put to shame whoever trusts in him.
Highlights: But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. (Psalm 10:14)
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. (Psalm 68:5 – 6)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28 – 30)
In Psalm 73 Asaph’s feet almost lost their ground as he considers how well the ungodly people live and how he is ceaselessly afflicted and every morning he perceives new punishments. In Lamentations 3 Jeremiah complains how unfairly he feels treated by the Lord and he concludes that his hope is gone. After having slept with Abram, Hagar got pregnant, felt superior to her master and fled from her. All of them were in big distress and could not see a way out. For all of them the affliction lead eventually into an encounter with the presence of God. Asaph ended up in deep worship when he exclaimed: When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Jeremiah pauses after he has poured out his complaints and experiences a growing inner conviction that the Lord will remember him and eventually bursts out in praising the goodness of God: Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentation 3:21 – 26)
Hagar finally is found by the angel of the Lord at a well in the desert and he revealed to her part of the future and gently told her to go back to her Master. No longer did she have complaints; no longer did she want to run away. 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.” (Genesis 16, 13)
God sees you! If you are tired, afflicted or disappointed today, bring your complaints before the God who sees you and your perceived misery can change to worship and to a well of joy and satisfaction.
Prayer: Dear God, please show me your perspective of my situation, which I see hopeless and helpless. I need a fresh encounter with your goodness. I want to worship you. Deep in my heart I know that you have not forgotten me and that you will never ever forsake me. Align my thinking with what I am knowing to be true about your unfailing love and goodness.
