"Eyes Of Jesus" by Rachelle Miller - Genesis 21:11 Avraham became very distressed over this matter of his son. 12 But God said to Avraham, “Don’t be distressed because of the boy and your slave-girl. Listen to everything Sarah says to you, because it is your descendants through Yitz’chak who will be counted. 13 But I will also make a nation from the son of the slave-girl, since he is descended from you.”
14 Avraham got up early in the morning, took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child; then he sent her away. After leaving, she wandered in the desert around Be’er-Sheva. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she left the child under a bush, 16 and went and sat down, looking the other way, about a bow-shot’s distance from him; because she said, “I can’t bear to watch my child die.” So she sat there, looking the other way, crying out and weeping. 17 God heard the boy’s voice, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What’s wrong with you, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, because God has heard the voice of the boy in his present situation. 18 Get up, lift the boy up, and hold him tightly in your hand, because I am going to make him a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went, filled the skin with water and gave the boy water to drink.
20 God was with the boy, and he grew. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 He lived in the Pa’ran Desert, and his mother chose a wife for him from the land of Egypt. (Complete Jewish Bible)
***Hagar is not the well-loved hero of this portion of Scripture. While no one would wish harm on her, most people can probably understand how Sarah felt. Most women would not want to look at their husband’s “other woman” and child every day.
Thankfully, God does not look at us the way Sarah looked at Hagar. God does not look at us as the slave or the illegitimate child. God looks at us with a limitless love and compassion we can hardly imagine.
While Jesus discussed the lack of laborers, Matthew pointed out that, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (9:36). Jesus saw the crowd as they were—helpless. The same people who would likely be shouting for his crucifixion in a few chapters, he saw them as they were and had compassion.
Oh to have the eyes of Jesus to see the difficult people in our lives, that we do not want to like, as helpless, harassed and as a sheep without a shepherd! To have the eyes and mind of Christ should be the standard and goal to which we strive.
Hymn for Today: "Cleanse Thou Me" by Fanny J. Crosby.
1. Search me, O Lord, and try this heart of mine,
Search me, and prove if I indeed am Thine.
Test by Thy Word, that never changed can be,
My strength of hope and living faith in Thee.
2. Search me, O Lord, subdue each vain desire,
And in my soul a deeper love inspire.
Hide Thou my life, that I, supremely blest,
Beneath Thy wings in perfect peace may rest.
3. Search me, O Lord, and from the dross of sin,
Refine as gold, and keep me pure within.
Search Thou my thoughts whose springs Thine eyes can see;
From secret faults, O Savior, cleanse Thou me.
4. Search me, O Lord, let faith through grace divine
Thyself reflect in every act of mine,
Till at Thy call my waiting soul shall rise;
Caught up with joy, to meet Thee whom I prize.
Amen.
Thought for Today: Sing, heaven! Rejoice, earth!
Break out in song, you mountains!
For Adonai is comforting his people,
having mercy on his own who have suffered.(Isaiah 49:13).
Please pray: That many people in Palau and Saipan will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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Please pray: That many people in Palau and Saipan will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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