The God Who Sees and Hears

"You are the God who sees me" (Genesis 16:13).

 

Statistics reveal that moving is one of the most stressful events in a person's life, especially when it involves relocating to another city. I've done this before, but it was always my choice to go. This time it's driven by corporate decisions and God's providence. With tears in my eyes and a heavy heart I'm learning to embrace the transition. It's hard leaving the place my husband and I have loved more than any other, and the people who made it so special.

Still, there are blessings that arise if I silence my whimpering voice long enough to hear God's whispers of comfort. They come in the most ordinary and mundane moments of every day life, yet they are extraordinarily sweet like honey for my soul. Praying for favor with a buyer, while scrubbing the floor for our home showing, God assured me that somewhere in another kitchen another wife is doing the same thing. And He sees us both and hears our cries for answered prayers.

El Roi, "The God who sees me". That is how Hagar described the Lord who met her in the desert and spoke to her. Alone, abandoned and pregnant she was cast out from Abraham because of Sarah's jealous rage (Genesis Chapter 16). But God saw her anguish and came to her rescue. The same God sees me and He sees you. He hears our prayers and will provide for us. 

Before a single word is uttered from our lips the Lord's ear is attuned to our needs (Isaiah 65:24). Like a loving parent He watches over us day and night, and delights in hearing our voice. Won't you take your cares to Jesus who brings them to the Father? While we may feel invisible and unnoticed by the world around us, praise God He is our everlasting and all powerful El Roi! "You are the God who sees me" (Genesis 16:13).

Your fellow herald for Christ,

Mary  

The Restored Decade

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25).


Christmas and New Years are typically a time of reflecting on all the events of the previous year. It’s amazing to see how fast twelve months can pass and all the experiences that have shaped our lives. With all the talk these days of “the lost decade” we are enduring--lost wages, vanished 401Ks, and lack of economic growth, my mind can get clouded with the challenges of daily life. My annual recollections of the past recently took me further back in time—ten years to be exact. I did lose something. It was my old life that died the day I began my new life in Christ.

It was Thanksgiving week of 2000 when God’s pursuing love finally gripped my seeking heart and made its permanent residence in me. Jesus restored my damaged relationship with the Father. Consequently, my life has never been the same. I am continuing to learn how to live for a cause greater than myself; to live the life Jesus planned for me that is better than any vision I can conjure up. This does not mean my journey does not include disappointments, heartache and tough times. It does mean I do not walk alone. Praise God for His Holy Spirit who is forever my Guide and Helper!

If I choose to measure my life solely in terms of how much money I earn, I would be counted among those in the newly coined phrase “the lost decade”. Like so many people my corporate career is under attack, and so is my pay check. My wages have slipped to a level I made twelve years earlier, and my 401K hasn’t made much progress. But the Lord provided me with a husband eight years ago and together we are weathering life’s storms with our Creator. I often wonder where the world is headed not just from an economic standpoint, but from a spiritual one. Evidence of love is so hard to find in mankind.

This December I am settling in with Jesus and asking Him to help me listen more than I speak. I want to hear His voice above all others, and there are so many distractions right now. My hopes for the New Year certainly contain peace, prosperity and joy, but sometimes things have to fall apart before they can be repaired. This is how it was in my life and, perhaps, that is what is happening in our world today. We are sick, we need restoration, but we’re seeking it in our government and our employers instead of in Christ.

Christmas is the beginning of God’s restoration plan for all of us sinners. It began with the birth of His Son in a manger over 2000 years ago and was fulfilled when Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead. Invite Jesus to live in your heart and surrender your life to Him. True healing and contentment begins there. Only when we receive His love can we extend it to others. What a lovely outreach that would be to other hurting citizens.

Wouldn’t it be nice if no one was part of the lost generation anymore but all were forgiven of our sins and restored? Praying you will accept the free gift of salvation that cost Jesus His life because of His great love for you. Merry Christmas and a Restored New Year! “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25).

Your fellow sojourner,

Mary

Overindulgence Encouraged

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8).

Six weeks post New Years Eve, how are your resolutions going? Did your list include trimming back on unnecessary expenses in order to live more fiscally balanced? What about your diet? Are you eating less but still not healthy? Were you like me; feeling undernourished and over stimulated after the holidays? Has the thought of consuming anything sweet lost its appeal? Have you abandoned those well-crafted goals and reverted to overspending and overeating just in time for today’s Super Bowl parties? Maybe it’s time to go to a place where overindulgence is encouraged. Care to join me?

As I wrote the goals and dreams in January I hoped to accomplish in 2010, I did something different this year. I prayed for God to give me a list that reveals what He wants to do through me and in me. In years past I’d make the list without consulting Him; then pray for His help to fulfill my desires. I had it backwards. God does not exist to serve me, but I to serve Him. His plans are perfectly designed to transform me into the image of His Son. In the end, following God’s resolutions will find me happier than checking off a self-constructed list of items I hope to experience one day.

Asking Jesus to help me formulate my list, I held nothing back as He encouraged overindulgence of Him. God wants me to spend as much time as possible feasting on the tenderness of His words written to satisfy every hunger soul. God never says to us, “You’ve had enough of Me, Mary. Go away and stop grabbing one more morsel of truth from my Scriptures. You’ve prayed so much you are overflowing to maximum capacity.” On the contrary! God is always offering us more of Himself without limitation.

Of all the sweetness that life’s pleasures hold, there is none as satisfying as the love of my Lord. God is always willing I partake in the bounty of His presence. The Bible is full of God’s delightful recipes that are blessings for our lives beyond anything we can create ourselves. My desire for the rest of my days is to fill my palate with all that the Father wants to give me. The Scriptures are a paradox of delicacies that quench my deepest longings while leaving me hungry and thirsty for more. What a treat!

Won’t you come to the table the Lord has prepared for you to sample His goodness and mercy? It’s the place where sinners are welcome and forgiveness is granted when hearts are repentant and surrendered to Christ. His soul-food menu is an all-you-can-eat buffet, and your bill has been paid with His shed blood. Jesus extends the invitation to everyone to accept His sacrificial payment, but you can’t join this feast until you respond with heartfelt thanks.

One taste of His heavenly sustenance will find you increasing your helping size. You will joyfully discover He delights when we overindulge on all His offerings. We cannot be overweight in the goodness of God, only underweight if we push ourselves away from the table believing we’ve had enough. No need to worry about portion control—keep asking for more! God is a generous giver and wants His children to be well fed. “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8).

Your fellow sojourner,

Mary

In God's Garden

Previously posted on my web site in May 2009: http://extravagantlife.net/site/.

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3).
Looking outside my window, on this lovely spring day, I see a plump robust garden bursting forth in brilliance. The fragrant air with its honeysuckle scent awakens my senses, while the juicy rich forest is so prolific I can’t take my eyes off of it. Although May in Raleigh is always beautiful, 2009 is particularly fascinating to me. I did not expect our yard to look so “green and alive” after just surviving the worst drought in 100 years. It’s fascinating to see this miracle before me, and I wonder how God does this.

When our house was completed in the summer of 2004, my husband asked the builder not to lay the sod until October. He wanted time to prepare the soil for the trees, shrubs, and grass knowing that the right foundation would give the plants the best chance of survival. Each week he had truckloads of luscious organic topsoil delivered to our house, and rented the necessary equipment to evenly distribute the soil throughout the yard. “Why the big fuss?” I wondered. “I don’t see anyone else in our subdivision doing this. Is it really worth all the trouble and expense we are incurring to lay down good topsoil? Won’t the grass and trees be just fine planted over this red clay that North Carolina is famous for?” My husband responded to my questioning his wisdom by simply saying, “You have to trust me on this one”.

In earlier years he was a farmer. He’d owned several homes and tended many gardens. I was the novice among us having no knowledge of either. So all summer long while our neighbors enjoyed their beach and mountain excursions, I grumbled under my sweaty brow while swatting away mosquitoes. Our weekends were spent toiling in the yard planting perennials, and covering the topsoil with plastic to prevent the rains from washing it away. Jon seemed to derive a great deal of satisfaction over this hard work; he was focused on the long-term benefits. Mine was the short-sighted view.

I couldn’t see past my momentary suffering as others around me were allowed to relax and play. I was tired. My corporate job consumed much of my energy during the week, and preparing the yard for planting took what was left. My husband works a rotating shift that affords him much more time off than I have. Although I tried to mask my feelings of exhaustion, he saw through the facade. One night as we laid the sprinkler system in the earth just days before the sod arrived, Jon said to me, “I know this hasn’t been easy for you, but it will all be worth it if a drought comes.” How prophetic Jon’s words turned out to be as God used them to teach me not only about our earthly garden, but His spiritual one.

Within three years Raleigh was in a drought that took us down to a thirty-day water supply if God didn’t send rain. No sprinkler systems could be used. As I poured recycled water on our plants from pots I kept under faucets inside our home, my prayers were desperate for the Lord to help us. “Father, there is only so much we can do. We can keep the vegetation alive for a little while in our own strength, but very soon the water supply is going to dry up. Not only will the plants die, but so will the wildlife and eventually humans.” I began to realize how utterly dependant we are on God to provide for our needs, and that human effort is not an inexhaustible resource. Scanning the neighborhood I could see the evidence of dying trees and charred grass that was planted on clay soil. The roots had no depth. While our yard had some brown spots, the deep topsoil and mulch covering contained enough moisture and nutrients to keep the plants alive. Although some trees didn’t bloom during the drought, I learned they were conserving their resources while clinging for their lives to the foundation we’d laid.

Mercifully, the Lord answered our prayers for rain and eased the pain of the drought. Suddenly something amazing emerged before our eyes. The forest that appeared to be stunted in its growth stood up tall and strong as if its branches were reaching toward heaven in gratitude. Somehow the drought had made them more resilient. God spoke to my heart one day as I was admiring the flowers in my garden, telling me this miracle of nature is an example of what happens in the spiritual realm.

When God allows seasons of dryness to enter into my life He’s longing to reveal more of Himself to me, and to others who are watching. The question then becomes, “Do I trust Jesus or myself for my survival? What is my faith rooted in?” When my soul is planted on the life-giving soil of God’s Word and my spirit receives His life-sustaining water, I will bloom as a bright flower that invites others into God’s garden. So will you! “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3).
Your fellow sojourner,

Mary