Our King is not so high that He cannot hear. Our King is not so secluded behind palace walls that He doesn’t see the plight of His people. Our King has granted us an open access policy to reach Him when hard times weigh us down. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,” (Hebrews 4:16). Therefore, we cry out, “Save, LORD! May the King answer us when we call,” (Psalm 20:9, NKJV).
Adapted from “The King to My Rescue!”
“Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;” Job 29:2
Have you ever experienced these same thoughts that Job expressed? Have difficult times ever made you look back to times when you felt everything in your world was right? When adversity strikes and we deal with things we do not understand, I am sure many of us like Job take our mind’s eye to those past days when trouble wasn’t knocking on our door.
The difficulty of the days he was presently in caused Job to look at those previous times as times of favor, saying, that’s when “God preserved me”. But now, his expressions tell a different story of what his feelings are feeling. His troubles caused him to think that just because he was going through adversity, God was not as presently with him as before.
Little did Job know, and many times we need to be reminded, that just as God was with us in the good times, so too is He with us in the troubling times. It may look different than we are used to seeing it, and it may feel different, but just because we don’t understand and may question it, it doesn’t negate the fact that God is presently near, watching, and keeping His people.
Jesus taught, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7).
A bird sold is not forgotten before God, and neither was Job, and neither are you. Our value before God is so precious and more than we could ever imagine. The clouds that come during those dark days may try to hide that fact, but the truth of God’s Word is a fact, that no matter how we feel or how hard it may seem, God is still there for us. Even if you are dealing with hurtful situations and even if you feel like you have been wronged, God’s loving eyes see and His precious hands are working behind the scenes, holding you, loving on you, and valuing you when others may not.
Difficult times are difficult because they are not easy. During these times, see Him with eyes of faith. See that He is still with you and that you have not been left in this alone (Hebrews 13:5). Take your cares, your disappointments, your hurts, and your discouragements to God in prayer. He is there listening. And trust me, He does care.
Just because it hurts it does not mean He’s not feeling what you are feeling (Hebrews 4:15). And just because we can’t figure out all this stuff, God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and we must trust Him with it, and with all the times in between.
God is here for you today, God is here. Regardless of what you feel or are going through, you are not forgotten.
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” Isaiah 49:15
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“And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.” Philippians 4:3
Laboring women. Those two words together more than likely bring immediately to our minds the idea of childbirth, which is a unique celebration in and of itself. Yet, the Bible has a way of showing people beyond the norms of what may immediately come to mind. It highlights the character, contributions, giftings, and skills of those, men or women, who were used by God or allowed God to use what they had or could do to further Kingdom business.
While we are familiar with Ruth, Deborah, and Esther in the Old Testament, and with names like Mary (take your pick), Pricilla, and Dorcas in the New Testament, what we find in the pages of Scripture that there are numerous characters (men and women alike, although I’m focusing on a female point of view here), whose lives and contributions made a significant impact even though they were not mentioned by name.
Paul made special mention in the verse above to the Philippian church to “help those women which laboured with me in the gospel.” These women supported his ministry. These unsung, nameless warriors are only known by mention here and the people they served then. We don’t know who they are or how they helped in such a way for this honorable mention here – but help, they did, therefore Paul wanted the church to keep in mind the way their works provided service.
Another thing we don’t see here is the struggle to be seen. We don’t see a fight or contentions arising because they wanted the recognition of their name and actions to be made known. It’s as if it was just their pleasure to serve the gospel and to help in whatever capacity they could.
Their service mattered and made a difference. And while they are not named here, the “Book of Life” holds their names. Father God knows who they are, and He knows who you are.
You may not always receive the pat on the back, the acceptance, the “Good job!”, you are looking for, but what you do for Christ, what you do for the furtherance of the ministry of the Kingdom of God matters as well, and it is important.
Your name may not be published far and wide ascribing your accomplishments. But if it is published in that Book of Life, have no fear of missing out because the Holder of that holy record sees everything you do for His Kingdom, and you can trust that He will reward you accordingly.
God sees and knows what you do for Him!
Further Inspiration:
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
“He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.” Deuteronomy 2:7
He knows your walking. Every step you take has His attention. The wilderness comes with many perils. The wilderness can be a place of lack, yet God reminds His people, “thou hast lacked nothing,” Deut. 2:7.
What wilderness are you in right now? Our God knows. Does your desert place bring tears? Is companionship missing in your world? Nothing is hidden from the eyes of our Father. The steps you take in this weary land are marked with His supreme knowledge.
When Moses rehearsed their traveling through this land, he reminded them of the good times and the bad – and yet, through it all, God saw their walking. As His beloved, He knew where they were and what they were dealing with.
The same can be said for each of us. God sees the paths we take. He sees the trudging through the murky times. He sees the hard roads traveled. He recognizes that every trip is not a time of prancing through the peaceful meadows, but there are hills to climb, some slippery, some steep. He recognizes the sweat and the effort it takes to keep going. He sees every choice, every footfall.
My friends, some days when we walk it seems we are walking through a river of tears, walking in waters too deep with currents that are too strong. But the encouragement for our souls is it is not lost on our God and no step we take is wasted. Every step in the right direction, regardless of how hard it may be, will lead to our place of promise.
Some days it may seem that we are walking in circles – not sure what we are doing or where we are going. But while we are walking, we can walk with hope. We can walk in faith (yes, even if you can’t feel it, we can still step out in faith by just moving forward). We can walk in the confidence in the victory that lay ahead for us.
In the unsure moments, the disappointing moments, and the hurting moments, He sees it all.
Knowing that God sees me walking through this great wilderness brings a special measure of comfort to my soul. The wilderness may take its toll on you, and it may even make us question some things along the way – but, even then, and even there, our steps are known. Our hearts can be filled with this great truth even in the wilderness.
My friends, we hold so much in us while we are walking through this wilderness. We experience so much in this dry place. Each of us has encountered a wilderness area we may be walking through, have walked through, or are about to walk through. It is in this season of life, that the struggle from day to day can be overwhelming. For some, you have walked so long and so far, that you may feel like you are lost in a desert. But, no matter what stage of your walking, God still sees you. His eyes have not left you and His heart is for you.
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