God is so good!

As I study my Bible, I find treasures over and over again. It is really amazing to soak in God's word into our heart and discover what it says.   Take Psalm 34: 6,7 "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." 
Wow! Imagine this for a moment:  God the LORD who created the world - the mountains, oceans , sun, moon, planets, stars and every person and animal and keeps everything in place - He hears me when I cry out to Him - gives me His attention and saves me out of all my troubles.  I believe God is waiting for that cry from me just as I as a mom wait for an email from my son. And He is willing and able to meet our needs. Then looking at verse 7,  I read that "the angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him."  That means I am not alone in my situation. The LORD has His angel standing guard for me. The angel is all around me, protecting me from any darts that satan and his helpers would try to throw at me.  And then the final words of verse 7 "and delivereth them".  With the LORD as our protector and help - we win!
It reminds me of the story of Elisha in 2Kings 6 where  Elisha and his servant were encircled by  the horses and chariots of the those trying to trap them, the servant is afraid and so Elisha says to his servant " Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them". Then Elisha prays for God to open his servants eyes that he can actually see what God's protection of them looks like. And it says in 2 Kings verse 17 " And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha". Can you imagine chariots of fire as protection? God is truly amazing! He is definitely the One in whom I choose to put my trust! Can you trust Him with your life and your situation too?

Background thoughts and Hagar

My faith story is really quite simple. I came to personal faith in Jesus as my Savior in my early teen years largely due to the preaching of Billy Graham on the Hour of Decison radio program. But it all started in  a small country church where everyone knew everyone.  I went to Sundayschool there and we would hear the Bible stories told simply. We'd learn a memory verse and sing some songs. The memory verse that has stuck with me for all my years is from Genesis 16: 13  which I learned when I was about 4 or 5 years old - "..Thou God seest me.." spoken by Hagar.
In the story of Abraham and Sarah, Hagar is their servant girl. When Sarah is unable to bear children, she decides to use Hagar to bear a child for them and therefore gives her to Abraham as a wife also. After Hagar becomes pregnant Sarah begins to treat her harshly and Hagar runs away. This is where the angel of God finds her, confronts her for running away, and so the angel comforts her in verse 11 where the angel says " the LORD hath heard thy affliction".
This is actually a very interesting story because we see that  God cares for ordinary people. Hagar is not a celebrity or popular in any way - She is a servant girl. And when life becomes difficult for her God comes to find her, I believe it shows Hagar that she does matter to God. In God's eyes she is special and loved. This experience will also help her later in her life when Abraham and Sarah send her and her young son Ishmael away.
So we also can take comfort in our own situations. To the LORD God our Heavenly Father we do matter and He does love us and care for us. It matters not who you are - God sees you, He knows your situation, He comes to you to care for you.  " Thou God seest me"
Like the song says" His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me"

March 28,2012

  As a Christian, the goal of my blog is to share my faith with you and to discuss issues relating to the Bible.

Matthew 10: 29 - 33
Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered, So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.