Hidden Things
Jesus is the only outsider who truly knows the insider our skin keeps veiled (Beth Moore)
A New Name
An Egyptian slave woman named Hagar met the One True God in the desert. She had run away from her abusive mistress. Suddenly, the Lord spoke to her through an angel. He gave her comfort, guidance and an amazing promise about her descendants.
God also told her to name her unborn son Ismael, which means ‘God hears.’
In return, Hagar gave Abraham’s God a new name too.
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.” (Genesis 16:13 NIV)
No one ever notices a slave. They’re treated as human wallpaper; invisible, unimportant. Until they do something wrong. Then their punishment is swift and often brutal.
God calling Hagar by name in the desert changed everything. She’d been noticed by the only One who mattered.
My Spiritual Point
The human race is a mess. We’re cruel when we should be kind. Or impatient and irritable when needy people interrupt our ‘me time.’ Too often we treat those we love as annoying pests.
When Jesus walked this earth, He valued people and God’s truth above everything. He still does. His degree of love stuns me. Our Savior decided heaven wouldn’t be complete unless we humans were there. So Christ came to earth and opened heaven’s gates with His sacrifice.
Want to know a secret? After decades as a Christian, I still make messes. In fact, I’m so bad, I sometimes hurt people and don’t even notice.
God keeps loving me anyway. Just because he decided to.
Resources:
The rest of Hagar’s story is found in Genesis 16 and Genesis 21:1-21. God appeared to her twice.
