Genesis 3:11

Genesis 3:1-12 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden '?" ² And the woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; ³ but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.'" ⁴ And the serpent said to the woman, "You surely shall not die! ⁵ "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." ⁶ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. ⁸ And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" ¹⁰ And he said, "I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." ¹¹ And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" ¹² And the man said, "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."

Adam and Eve were created perfectly in a very image of God. They have no flaws, no bruises, no emotional hang-ups, no feelings of rejection, no sickness and none of the negative things we experience and endure.

Can you and I even begin to imagine being in a world where there are no negatives to torment or discourage us?

Can we imagine a World perfectly groomed without the need for water hoses, weed pulling, lawnmowers, chainsaws, a world that is perfect and beautiful in every way?

Can we imagine a world without rescue squads, Band-Aids, doctors, nurses, and hospitals, into acid pills, crisis centers, and counselors for emotional pain or breakdowns?

Can we imagine a world where there is no need for court houses and judges to discern the faults and penalties of people who damage or hurt us?

Can we imagine a world where there are no accidents, no need for insurance and no lawsuits?

Can we imagine a world where there are no missing or abused children, no animal cruelty, no time crunches, no stresses, grudges, no unforgiveness, breathing problems, chest pain, back aches, too much fat, pesticides, toxins, fatigue, gossip, pride and/or arrogance?

Much, if not most of our careers and jobs are trying to resolve and help people with problems and irritations.

Because we live in a body and a world that is touched by Adam and Eve’s and yes even our own sin, we are all born spiritually naked and we all have problems.

We work and strive to get a remedy and be a remedy as we live, teach and preach it.

But the one in only final remedy that is that He, the Lord Jesus Christ, made it out of the tomb after we, his creation crucified him on a shameful cross at Calvary.

Imagine that! The only one who could, came to rescue humankind from the curse of sin and we in violence mocked, scorned, abused and yes even murdered him are very hope of life.

Yet when we were at our worst, God is in his perfection in Christ arose with victory and forgiveness, mercy and love for you and me!

What a Savior! Jesus Messiah, name above all names, blessed redeemer, Emmanuel! We all were meant for more! That’s why Jesus came! God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever would believe in him would have everlasting life. Life more abundantly is what He came to give us. He loved the world that He gave his own life.

We will not have everlasting life and perfection in this body and in this world that is touched the sin; however, when we ask God, because He gives his children everlasting life beyond the grave and if we are taking up in the rapture.

What a day, what a time that will be! When all Adam and Eve forfeited is reversed and God creates a new and perfect heaven and earth. Hebrews 2:8-9 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet." For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. ⁹ But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

The glories of heaven will be ours for all time and eternity. Then, we will not be found naked. We will be clothed with our new body, a body that does not know sin or disease.

God will make all things new again! There will be no more exposure, no shame, no blame, no sorrow, and no sickness. Because the former things are passed away!

God will shine in us even as the brilliance of the sun that shines on the earth. God‘s light will shine in and through us revealing who He is. In the finality of things, when we have our new glorified body, I believe we will returned to the perfection that Adam had in the garden.

Christians are God’s children, children of light. We do not yet bear his complete image, we are flawed and yes we sometimes show our butt and are found in shame.

Imagine this; God will wipe all tears from our eyes. All regrets will be gone! Feelings of failure, feelings of fear and troubled spirit will be gone. All intimidation and lack or any other negative will be gone.

God will clothe us in his perfection, hallelujah! No longer will we have nakedness in any form! We will be fulfilled, together and like him! We will have a perfect body and live in a perfect world for eternity!

See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. 1 John 3:1-2

1. God has given us the great privilege of being called the CHILDREN OF GOD.

1. This is a great love given to us by God Himself.
2. This love is so great that the world nor carnal man can understand or describe it.

 

2. We have a great hope in God’s love. His love is a great mystery.

1. We do not fully know what we will be like.
2. We know we will be like Christ. Yet we do not yet know Him in his fullness.
3. We have great incentive in God’s love to walk in purity. 1 John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

 

1. We have a great need of deliverance of sin. We are all sinners by nature. All of us have broken God’s law. Only God can deliver us through Christ redemptive blood. 1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
2. He provides the way for us to take away our deliverance. We do not have to live in bondage to sin. 1 John 3:5-6 And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. ⁶ No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
3. This is the proof of our deliverance.

1. We do not continue in sin. Sin is not a lifestyle.
2. If we continue in lifestyle of sin Scripture says we do not know Christ.
3. It’s possible for us to become deceived. 1 John 3:6-8 ⁶ No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. ⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; ⁸ the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

4. Jesus conquers and delivers.

1. A person who abides/continues in sin is of the devil.
2. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:7-8 Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; ⁸ the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

 

5. The result of our deliverance can be seen. We are freed from the bondage of sin. We are not a slave to sin! 1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

 

6. The test and mark of righteousness is the demonstration of Christ’s love within us.

1 John 3:10-17 ¹⁰ By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. ¹¹ For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; ¹² not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. ¹³ Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. ¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. ¹⁶ We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷ But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?

 

1. Love and righteousness reveal a person’s true nature. These characteristic shows if one is of God or the devil.
2. Love is the message that has been given from the beginning. Love is the earliest and strongest commandment. Love God, love others.
3. Love does not persecute the righteous.
4. Love is the proof that a person has passed from death to life.
5. Love does not hate. Because he who hates is a murder. Hate exempts a person from eternal life.
6. Love is the proof that a person understands the love of Christ.
7. Love has compassion and gives to meet the needs of others.

 

7. Next test of being in Christ is having a clean heart. 1 John 3:18-24 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. ¹⁹ We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him, ²⁰ in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ²² and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. ²³ And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. ²⁴ And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

 

1. A clean heart is revealed by loving actions not with words only.
2. Love assures us that our heart is right and our conscience is clear.
3. Obeying the commandments is like being washed by the water of the word. We are to be subject to Christ and allow him to wash us.. Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
4. A clean heart is produced by believing in God’s Son Jesus.
5. The indwelling of God’s Spirit assures us that God lives within us. 1 John 3:24 And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

 

We are not naked if we are clothed in God’s righteousness and walking in obedience to his Spirit and Word.

Today, to begin this journey, let me ask you a few questions:

To those that are parents, show me your hands, thank you, my prayers go that God will help you parent to the best of His abilities and with all the help the Holy Spirit can give you. As one parent to another, does it seem to anyone else that parenting can bring the most joy and most stress all in any given 5 min. Maybe you can relate, I have had some roller coaster moments these past couple months, a couple of weeks ago my son had his next belt testing in Taekwondo and he goes to class and works but then when it comes to the testing in front of 20 judges and with everyone watching it really challenges him and I sit there and watch him struggle and want so bad to rescue him and help and protect but deep down I know that as he fights through challenges he will become better for it, even as sometimes we have to push him forward or hold him in moments of struggle. And then we find out he passes and is going to be a senior green belt, we have the parental pride of the moment. Maybe you have had moments like that and can appreciate the challenge of my heart to try to do the right thing, when unsure exactly what the right thing in the moment always is – prayerfully I try to do my best.

Or for those that aren’t parents today, I can’t leave you out, let me see your hands today across this place. Regardless of your age have you ever just wanted your plans to work out like you expected or dreamed them to be, something you were excited to do or try or something you expected to take 20 min and 3 hours later, it’s not done, and your morning is gone. Can I just be real today, I think for the Cooper’s it seems like the plan happening flawlessly, is maybe 10% of the time and the other 90%, it seems like we are fighting through unexpected and amazingly thick fog that leave me running the wipers as my windshield fogs up and then I turn on the AC and the next minute we are freezing and switch to heat and just as the inside windshield clears up I realize it feels like 100 degrees in the vehicle and have to turn the heat off windows down and we get to repeat the process again 10 min later, and again – anyone feel me today. Like one of the t-shirts my wife has is “The Struggle is Real”.

And can I be blunt and honest today, as much as I would like to say that this is before I committed to God’s path and following him, but this is like – yesterday and I am following God, but it still seems like I get to spend a lot of quality time in quicksand. Anyone with me today, show me your hand, give me a little comfort this morning. Thank you, can I tell you I think as we look at God’s word today I think we are good company. Can you please turn with me to Acts 13:39-41 and stand to honor God’s word, as we consider a backdrop to the crazy journey we are a part of:           

“and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. Therefore, take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: ‘BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.’ ””           ACTS 13:39-41

Now with that passage in your mind lets go back further in history and consider a story from Exodus 13

“Now when Pharaoh had let the people go…             Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness. The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” EXODUS 13:17-22 NASB

400-year-old promise to take bones of Joseph, leave and walk out into the unknown desert.

We read this journey like a bed time story, but they lived it out real people with real thoughts and fears.

He planned them into mystery and pulled them directly into mystery, but they are like us and when plans end up sideways even when sometimes we can see a clear and right cause, we end up shipwrecked and staring up at the ceiling, sleepless nights as thoughts rush on and on… Point 1 BELIEVE WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE   

But look at Paul Harvey’s rest of the story: EXODUS 14:9-21 NASB

“Then the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so, the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land…  The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided.”

Look at this picture of where this happened and visualize it with me, on a large enclosed beach as Egyptian army is coming through the mountains. Panic from what they see, there are moments as a father, parent or really anyone, when the physical moment will reach out and grab everything you may believe or think about your self or God, and seem to shatter it on the rocks of raging sea, right in plain sight of you and others.

Moses – their spiritual father in that moment, don’t fear, stand and watch salvation. What you see here you aren’t going to see again. Can I speak to you father, mother, spiritual father or mother, leader, aspiring leader – there are moments when you have the same lurking questions the physical reality shows, but you must speak and stand on mystery faith and belief for those around you. Listening for God even more than believing your own eyes… God – tells them go forward, crazy mystery actions, angel moves, and God moves with Cloud behind them.

Consecrate yourself for the next moment, because He is here… The King is Among them. Maybe they don’t see the actual form of God, rather His Spirit - in the cloud, the fire, the wind across the water drying a path through the river, or the wind carrying a voice off the mountain.

If we are going to have an impact in this what some call the “new political or social challenged 21^st century”, we are going to have to absolutely have more of the Holy Spirit, filled and evident in us, Know the King is Among us. We see here the first key to allowing that to happen:

Point 1: Believe what you can’t see.           We forget that we see revealed his hand after the fact for us but at the time this isn’t just mysterious, it’s crazy enough that they often borderline on rebellion. It takes the Holy Spirit filling you to take you beyond what you can touch feel and see in moments of challenge, right up the brink. There might just be more than you and your infinite wisdom can see and comprehend, there is a verse on that.

Again, our Heavenly Father gives His Spirit to help us through the mystery of this real world, can I speak to some fathers (and some mother’s or everyone) today, there are times when we must believe God is using His Spirit in the lives of our children or those we love, beyond things we can see positive or negative in the moment.

With bringing up the Holy Spirit, let me just take a Sunday drive side road through the country for a moment.

Consider: John 16:5-7

⁵ “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the ^[c]Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

When it comes to the Holy Spirit, as evangelicals we often fall into one of two extremes. Some seem obsessed, relating to him in strange, mystical ways. Their experiences with the Spirit always seem to coincide with an emotionally ecstatic moment created by the swell of music in a worship service or a weird confluence of events: “I was praying about whether to ask Rachel out, and suddenly I saw a billboard whose background was the same color as her eyes, and I got goose bumps—I knew it was the Holy Spirit!”

Other Christians neglect his ministry altogether. They believe in the Holy Spirit, but they relate to him the same way I relate to my pituitary gland: I’m grateful it’s in there; I know it’s essential for something; I would never want to lose it . . . but I don’t really interact with it. For these believers, the Holy Spirit is not a moving, dynamic person. He’s more of a theory.

Yet Jesus made his disciples this incredible promise about the Holy Spirit, one so astounding I think many of us do not really take it seriously: it was to their advantage, he said, that he returns to heaven if it meant they receive the Spirit. If you ask Christians whether they would rather have Jesus beside them or the Spirit inside them, which do you think most would choose, which would you choose? That shows how far apart we are from grasping what Jesus is really offering to us?

Point 2: Trust what you can’t see   

How do we then trust or embrace or experience the presence of the Holy Spirit? We certainly have seen this question greatly abused, but let me just break it down. It’s going to have to be more than a 10 second few words you don’t understand under your breath, more than just emotional flurries, irrational impressions, random events, more than giving a message or an interpretation of a message, more than a spiritual trophy experience; while none of those may be inherently wrong. I truly believe Scripture shows us that he wants to use the Holy Spirit to draw us further into His story of mystery and love, further into a powerful relationship. See this:

Romans 5:1-5. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Jesus gives access to grace by faith, acknowledging Him as savior makes us right with God. God shows His love through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We must build trust but that can be beyond mysterious, it can get downright scary: like me wanting to rescue my kids. I mentioned Jon-Paul and his testing but even as your kids get older you want to see them successful and safe and happy, etc. Makes me think of times with both of our girls and their involvement in soccer, we have had our share of challenges and heartbreaking, frustrating moments we can lead to constant question and second guessing but there are some things that are Kingdom principles, if we are trying to do our best raise our kids Godly, give them opportunities, then there are times when we will and do have to see the spiritual principle, trust the Spirit of God that He is doing things you can’t and may not see for a while, if ever. Not that I must push them into dangerous harmful situations, not at all; but I must trust God more than I trust my own parenting skills, those around me or even them. This same principle applies beyond family because it is a spiritual one. There are times when we must follow the Spirits guiding to push not just our children but others to become more than they can believe in themselves. 

Puritan Thomas Goodwin compared experiencing more of God’s Spirit to that of a toddler son when his father swoops him up into his arms, spins him around, and tells him, “You are my son and I love you!” In that moment, the boy has become no more his father’s son, legally speaking, than he was the moment before. But being caught up in his father’s arms he feels his sonship more intimately. The King is with you, His Presence Among us wanting to pick you up today, wanting to carry you today. The Spirit calls you to trust and even embrace the mystery that is believing God and His leading more than what I can work out and understand through the Spirit. As leaders, whether a father or not we are called by God in 1 Timothy 3:8-10 “… holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. These men must also first be tested…” He is working even when I don’t understand or haven’t seen the answer yet.

I truly know God can see our moments and things that we can’t understand, chaos, confusion or lack of control is challenging for most of us. But we struggle with the mysterious and rather we often want a God that we can control, I can keep him in the Sunday morning compartment, or the “with certain people” box, or the “around the pastor” words, but the Spirit want to mess with your compartments, so you can be free and bold for God. As we trust Him more we will encounter more of the Holy Spirit here at church, with others, and personally.

Point 3: Act on what you can’t see

For instance, Acts 13:2 records, “While [the church was] worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” God gave the church specific insight into what Saul and Barnabas were to do. Throughout his life Paul received instructions about where to go and what to do through members of the church, and he gave similar words of instruction to Timothy. But this should work directly with what the Spirit speaks within our hearts. Consider Acts 17:14-17.

Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ¹⁶ Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. ¹⁷ So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.

Paul the key leader at that time to the Gentiles, or those not blessed to be in the “desired church crowd”, he allowed the Spirit to re-direct and change his course through his life. Today the Spirit calls Bible believing Spirit filled bold believers outside the church, into a world wrecked with failed plans, lost love, crushed dreams, fear and pain. Look around you, it is less about figuring all the spiritual things out, but rather listening to Him lead us into the unknown.

Back to our intro verse as we bring it all around:

“and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: ‘BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.’ ””           ACTS 13:39-41

Stories from Fathers past – is he the God of yesterday or could these stories still happen, is the age of miracles and the Holy Spirit over or past? Thousands of years ago in the Upper Room, the Holy Spirit wind and fire fell on fathers, mothers, everyone in the room in the moment. We do see the Spirit show up through our circumstances, throughout Paul’s life we see him interpret open and closed doors as evidence of the Spirit’s leadership. In his first letter to the Corinthians he explains he will stay in Ephesus to preach because a “wide door for effective work” has been opened, which he evidently took as the Spirit’s leadership. No special prophetic word, no handwriting in the sky, no Virgin Mary in a grilled cheese sandwich—just an open door. But, this one can be tricky, because an open door doesn’t always mean something is God’s will. We see through Paul’s journey’s several times he follows the Spirit to change directions, like we just read where he was provoked into a different moment. More havoc has been wreaked in the church and world following the words “God just told me to ______” than perhaps any other phrase. So, we must hold our various senses of the Spirit’s movement, in tension with each other and always in submission to the Scriptures. A key with all of this it to hold our interpretations loosely, embracing the mystery and unknown sovereignty of a God that doesn’t have to explain Himself to us and make sense in every situation. Jesus said, after all, that experiencing the Spirit is something like a mysterious encounter with the wind (John 3:8).

So now we bring it all back around again, the Israelites trekking through the wilderness after years of struggle and hardship, we look in on the end of one journey and the start of another, Joshua 3:1-6:

Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. ² After three days the officers went throughout the camp, ³ giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. ⁴ Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits^[a] between you and the ark; do not go near it.” ⁵ Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”…

This was the end of the “cloud era” after they crossed the river into the next moment, God would lead them in other ways, but the cloud of His Spirit had taken them right to that day. Jesus left the disciples staring up into the sky and the Holy Spirit joined us but just like those fathers and others before us. They had a personal decision, a personal choice – consecrate yourself or not. Press in beyond what makes sense, embrace a God that can seem at times crazy, will you and I personally steward his mystery, embrace the wonder that is following God, take decisive steps to encounter more of the Spirit, get His help when we don’t know how to pray or even how to make sense of this crazy day to day life I live.

Today right now, the King our Savior the Holy Spirit is among us, he is looking for leaders and others who will consecrate yourself for amazing things, astonishing things, things you won’t believe even when you see them, are we willing to embrace a wonderful crazy God of mystery, he wants to give you freedom and joy, strong boldness and courage, Spirit directed Believing what we can’t always see, trusting God when things aren’t falling together. He is calling you today, I believe the Spirit is directing us to actions. 

Wherever today finds you on the journey, know if you are a father today or a parent at all, there are 936 weeks from birth to 18 and they are ticking off each day, will you teach and model for those around you that you love to embrace following the Spirit of God as He leads us to often uncharted waters in our minds?

Do you need personal revival, Webster says Revival - 1 : an act or instance of reviving or a renewed attention to or interest in something. While revive is: to restore to consciousness or life, 2: to restore from a depressed, inactive, or unused state, to renew in the mind or memory

Can I tell you revival is not a tent or 3 special services but something that affects heart and action change? God breathes fresh live into dead people, through that renewed life we are changed and affected. Things that don’t make sense can build faith, can build trust, can show strength and desire. When we want to have everything filled out, plans made, everything easy and making sense, we can and will shut down the Spirit’s work in our lives, prevent encounters with Him, we can watch others while limiting ourselves.  

Are you willing to Personally follow the Holy spirit into God’s great mystery, Jesus died and rose for us? Choose to believe in him and give your self to Him today. I believe to close today God has given me 4 words for us as a body: Sow, Reap, heal, Build. The Spirit is quickening one of those in you for action, quickly we are going to respond and pray.

Sow - Reap - Heal – Build 

Don’t stand around and act like God never did anything for you, when you have a complete encounter with the filling of the Holy Spirit it will take you beyond yourself, your personality to a point in belief, praise and action that releases things in you. The King is Among Us today, will you acknowledge him?

Holy Spirit you are welcome here Jesus Culture 8:11

God is our creator and we will never know or be and function to our highest potential apart from him.

The sweet spot for which you were made is known by God your Creator. To find and flow in your natural sweet spot, one needs to know their Creator. God wants to make us be and guide us to true success.

We were all born to fulfill a God-destiny. In the Book of Jeremiah there is a passage of Scripture that is widely known and quoted by many today. Jeremiah 29:10-14   "For thus says the LORD, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.  ¹¹ 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  ¹² 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  ¹³ 'And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  ¹⁴ 'And I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.'

Please allow me to give you the backdrop of this Scripture. God’s chosen people the Israelites had rebelled against God and his Word on many occasions. They repetitively turned to worship and praise the idol gods that their neighbors worshiped. These were the gods they had made with their hands. They had not power to heal, guide, save or deliver. Other nations ignorantly worshipped these idols BUT God’s people, the Israelites had been taught the truth. THERE IS ONE GOD! YOU ARE NOT TO MAKE OR WORSHIP ANY IDOLS AND GRAVEN IMAGES. YOU ARE NOT TO GIVE MY PRAISE TO ANOTHER!

 

In spite of God’s warnings and yes even chastisement, the Israelites continued to rebel. Finally, God removed his protection from them and gave them over to reap the consequences of their own choices and passions.

*** If we insist on doing things, living life, our own way God will withdraw his chastening and Spirit and let us do so. BUT we will suffer the consequences of our choices. ***

 

*** If we take the “steering wheel” of our life from God, we need not blame HIM for the severe consequences. ***

When God’s Spirit urges you to do or not do something, it pays to listen… TRUTH: If we don’t listen, we will feel.

Back to the Jeremiah passage 29:10-14; the Israelites rebelled against God in spite of his love, his chastisement, his Spirit, and prophets that spoke warnings. They refused to listen and obey and for that they suffered.

They were attacked by the Babylonians, their city was ravaged and burned and their families were divided while most were taken into Babylonian captivity.

They, by their own choices forfeit the pleasantry, protection and the GOOD which GOD DESIRED TO GIVE THEM.

They were displaced, and although they cried out to God, the problem would not be quickly resolved. They needed to learn a lesson! Because of our weakness and yes sometimes rebellion, we may have to learn the hard way.

God would teach them the lesson they needed to learn and they would have to stay in Babylon for 70 years. Some probably died in that 70 year period – better to be under the chastening of God and be right with him than die  in our rebellion and sin. Chastening = Gods love!

It would be in their pain that they would live and learn. For some, there are lessons that are only through the hardships. They learned to never try replacing God with an idol.

They learned that obedience to God was for their highest good.

Going back to Jeremiah passage: Jeremiah 29:10-14   "For thus says the LORD, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.  ¹¹ 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  ¹² 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  ¹³ 'And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  ¹⁴ 'And I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.'

 

Although they were suffering the consequences of their choices, God was not angry with them. He wanted no harm to come to them; He wanted them to surrender to his will so that things could go well for them. A life of surrender is a JOYFULL and PROSPEROUS life.

God wanted to reconcile them to him and bring them back to their homes, restore to them the wealth, health and blessing He so desired to give them.

Until we can truly know God is the beginning and fullness of true life, we don’t live to our fullness.

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  ^{Jer. 29: 11}

^{Jeremiah 29: 12} 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  ¹³ 'And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  ¹⁴ 'And I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.' Even during the 70 years. Its’ not what you are in, it’s what is in you.

 

If you have learned from your mistake, if you find yourself drowning in your own grief, if you are sick of the mess your life is in, if you have learned that God’s ways are higher than your ways and his ways are the right ways, then you are ready to call and He is ready to answer.

 

When you call, God will say, here I am. You will find him when you seek Him with all your heart.

 

Then He will forgive. He will begin the restoration process. He will begin restoring what the “CANKERWORM” has eaten.

Joel 2:12-13  "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning;  ¹³ And rend your heart and not your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, And relenting of evil.

^{Jeremiah 29: 11} 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  

If you want to find God’s plans, you must give him your heart. God is wanting to get good and his best to you, will you fight or cooperate?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Were Made For More

Intentional Living

Part 2

Jeremiah 29:10-14   "For thus says the LORD, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.  ¹¹ 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  ¹² 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  ¹³ 'And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  ¹⁴ 'And I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.'

 

How to receive God’s best for yourself.

• Passionately pursuing for knowledge of God’s Word.
• Walk in Spiritual integrity. Morally & Ethically.
• Personal discipleship toward growth and maturity.
• Directional and focused vision pursuit.
• Uncompromised commitment to God,

his Word

• Spiritual, emotional and physical purity.

 

 

 

God can get you where he wants you if:

1. You keep self on the altar in total surrender. This is a lifestyle.
2. Keep necessary spiritual disciplines of:

1. intimacy through hearing and reading God‘s word daily.
2. prayer and communion with Christ.

 

 

3. Releasing of:

a. Fear

b. Personal frustrations

c. Personal faults

d. Personal inadequacies

e. Unforgiveness, grudges

f. Unrealistic and unfulfilled expectations of others (You are responsible for your own happiness and joy)

 

3.  Worship to God and service to others.                                        

Only God deserves our worship.

A self-centered person is consumed in personal satisfaction and “others” become a target for their consumption.

 

4. Fellowship & Connectivity, Accountability

God made us to have fellowships and connectivity. If one is lonely, isolated and has no friends, perhaps he/she should ask himself, Why? Take a close look at self.

• Am I open to friendships?
• Do I sabotage my friendships?
• Am I negative and leave others feeling drained and discouraged?
• Do I make time and investment into others.

5. Decision and commitment of what you will receive to your eye-gate an ear-gate. Also what you will do or not do.

 

6.  Hold to nothing that depletes what God is doing. It’s not just about what you take in; it’s also about what pulls “life” out from you.

 

We must be about the Father’s business and keep guard spiritually, emotionally and physically.

 

 

 

• Ignoring Gods direction doesn’t change Gods instructions or make the command and need for obedience go away.
• Ignoring and hoping Gods command will be dropped and/or altered doesn’t make it so.
• Jonah ran in another direction but God was there too.
• Tarshish is a far way off when you are running from God.
• It’s a bumpy ride when God sends a storm to get you where you need to be.
• The bottom of the boat is no security when the storm is about to swallow the boat you are on.
• The size of the boat doesn’t matter if the storm is God’s doing.
• Paying your fare will not satisfy the captain of the ship if you are the one causing the problem.
• Sometimes the only choice for any survivors is to toss the problem passenger into the sea/God’s hands.
• Running from God will cost more than the fare you paid.
• Even when people really care for you, there comes a time when every man has to bear his own burden.
• People are not really against you, they are just for themselves.
• The new and only direction is down if you continue to run and rebel against God.
• What was meant to be a joy ride can turn into a nightmare if you are riding with the wrong person(s).
• If you board with the wrong people you can lose more than you cargo, you could lose your life.
• Sometimes tough decisions have to be made.
• Where you are headed really does matter.
• Your life, your potential, your call does matter to God!
• God cares deeply about all the disobedient and mean people, both the “Jonah’s” and the Ninevites.
• When people are disobedient and the suffering comes as consequences of their deeds; God is still merciful, compassionate and wants to deliver.  
• Anybody can laugh until their “ship” begins to break into pieces.
• Just any god/religion won’t do when the storm is on.
• It’s amazing the things one really does not need when he thinks he is going to die.
• It’s amazing what a man will give up to save his own skin.
• The value of goods diminishes when a man realizes it cannot save him.
• The value of goods diminishes when a man is faced with life and death. It’s all just stuff in the face of death.
• One can hide and sleep in the bottom of a ship but he will still be found out.
• Sinking into depression doesn’t help you or others in the situation.
• Your disobedience can cost others a lot too.  
• Sometimes you are cohabiting with Jonah.  
• You can delay the Jonah’s obedience by keeping him aboard and trying to protect him.
• Sometimes you have to throw Jonah over board to survive yourself.
• If you have to release a Jonah to the sea with all the sea monsters you should do so in the fear and reverence of God.
• You can’t help a Jonah who refuses to repent by giving him a ride.
• Jonah had a “bottom line” repent or die.
• You can’t protect a “Jonah” from God.
• You can’t sustain yourself or your own life by keeping a Jonah on your ship.
• God is and has been speaking, are you hearing?
• Sometimes we only hear when we can see and feel the consequences.
• Whether we are a Jonah or the crewmen on a ship, God still gets the last word.
• None can fight against God and win.
• You can’t stop the storm; you can only comply with the God of the storm.
• When the storm is raging one must not use the same strategy as when the sea is calm.  
• Sometimes Jonah is so down and depressed because of his own prejudice, mindset, and preferences that he goes to sleep hoping to hide himself from the consequences.
• A nonchalant attitude doesn’t mean someone is at peace or strong.
• Jonah’s are ok sleep and hide to leave their disastrous consequences for others to deal with.
• Jonah’s are selfish, self-centered and dangerous to be with.
• You can love a Jonah, but you cannot fix him.
• Jonah’s don’t really care what his disaster will cost you.
• Jonah’s don’t take responsibility unless they are forced to take.
• It takes courage to throw a Jonah overboard.
• When you have a Jonah and have done what you can, He is no longer your responsibility.
• Every Jonah has to bear his own consequences.
• Harbor a Jonah too long and you will both drown.
• A Jonah will nap while others sweat, fear, struggle, work, and try to be responsible.
• Jonah’s are some-what numb, isolated even when danger is immediate.
• Jonah’s have to be forced to face their own reality.
• When Jonah sleeps in the dangers and losses, the sailors on the ship struggle feel great anger.
• Jonah’s are usually blind to their own plight.  
• Bottom line, you cannot save a Jonah. It’s between Jonah and God.
• A rod for a fool’s back and for a Jonah.
• Jonah threatens you with his own death but you must not try to bear his responsibility.
• Jonah’s have options. They just aren’t easy.
• You cannot do for Jonah what he has to do for himself, no matter how much you care.
• Pain can result in in repentance.
• Enabling a Jonah delays his change.
• Give God your Jonah.
• Cast out the Jonah and your storm will cease.
• Worship and trust God, worrying about Jonah only hurts you.
• God has a prepared  fish if your Jonah gets thrown overboard.
• God loves and can use even a Jonah.
• JONAH DID SURVIVE!

The Omnipresent Omniscient God 1/27/19

Attributes (and names) of God…

Omnipresent: Everywhere all the time

Omniscient: Knowing Everything

 

Psalm 139:1-18  ^NAS For the choir director. A Psalm of David. O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me.  ² Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar.  ³ Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, And art intimately acquainted with all my ways.  ⁴ Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, Thou dost know it all.  ⁵ Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me. 

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.  ⁷ Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence?  ⁸ If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there.  ⁹ If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,  ¹⁰ Even there Thy hand will lead me, And Thy right hand will lay hold of me.  ¹¹ If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,"  ¹² Even the darkness is not dark to Thee, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to Thee.  

¹³ For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb.  ¹⁴ I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works, And my soul knows it very well.  ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.  ¹⁶ Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. 

¹⁷ How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!  ¹⁸ If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with Thee.

David had an understanding of God that we need to learn for our own wellbeing.

My understanding of what David was saying: God you have searched me and you know me. You know me inside, out.  You know everything I do all the time and you know why I do what I do. You know what I think even before I think it. You know what I do all day long and even when I lie down to sleep. You know ever personal detail of my being with all knowledge of what I will speak before I think or speak it. You know all about me for you have me totally surrounded so that I am always enclosed with your hand on and around me, past, present and future.

I am overcome with awe of your detailed knowledge and constant care of me.

I cannot be anywhere you are not, whether I’m in the highest of heavens or the lowest of hell, you are with me. Whether I am in the brightest of daylight or the darkest of night, there is no absence of you or hindrance to your watchful care. No, nothing prevents you. Even when I was being conceived, you were there detailing me with amazing intricate specifics. I will give thanks to you for You did a wonderful and amazing work when made me, all of me, inside out. You numbered and knew my days and all the details within them even before the first day began. How vast, meticulous and intimate are your thoughts of me. I am humbled and in awe before you because of your precious, loving and continually thoughts about me; your thoughts are more in sum than each grain of sea sand. The great love you have lavished on me is overwhelming. Even when I awake from sleep you are still there with me.

God Was, God Is, and God always will be.  HE is the “I Am”. There has never nor will ever be a time or place where God is not.

God sees all.

God knows all.

God is everywhere all the time.

God knows our past, present and out future. There are NO surprises to God.

God knew us when we were being conceived in our mother’s womb. God fashioned us while we were in our mother’s womb. God’s work is good and he made us skillfully and amazingly beautiful! God made us inside and out.

Every day of our life was recorded even before the first day took place. He knew and He still loved!

God’s many thoughts (more than the sand of the sea) concerning us are precious!

In difficult circumstances, sometimes it doesn’t appear or feel like God sees, cares or loves us.  He sees the little sparrow and numbers even the hair of your head…                 

Hagar was a servant of Sarai, Abraham’s wife. You probably know the story, Abraham and Sarai were promised by God to have a son together and now they were very old. Sarai was past the natural age to bear a child.

Sarai took her servant girl Hagar and gave her to Abraham to be his wife.  Sarai wanted a son so badly; she (like many of us at times have been), was tired of waiting on God to help her conceive a child. Sarai took matters into her own hands and made a plan for her servant Hagar be a segregate mother to have her a son. After Sarai saw that Hagar had conceived, she despised her. (When we take matters in our own hands, we make a painful and big mess.)                

God sees: Genesis 16:6-16  Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.  ⁷ Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.  ⁸ And he said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."  ⁹ Then the angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority."  ¹⁰ Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they shall be too many to count."  ¹¹ The angel of the LORD said to her further, "Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction.  ¹² "And he will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers."  ¹³ Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "Thou art a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?"  ¹⁴ Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.  ¹⁵ So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.  ¹⁶ And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Hagar’s allowed her feelings and her limited perspective to lead her the wrong and dangerous place. Are you doing the same?                                                                                                       

Perhaps Hagar felt unimportant, used, despised, perhaps she like a sex slave or a common possession maybe she even felt abandoned by God (If God really loves me, why would he let this happen?)                                              

She was at her “wits-end” and “dead-end”. One might say, “She was at the “end-of- her- rope.” She either forgot or didn’t know that God saw past her “DEAD- END”.  God really cared for and loved Hagar too! God had plans past her DEAD-END. He knew what was in Hagar that she didn’t even know. He knew the plans and purposes He had in mind for both her and her child/children.                                                           God always sees beyond “your moment.”  When you cannot see God, change your focus. Fill your mind with his Words.

Hagar thought she was ready to die, but she was really ready to give life. Life was growing in her but it didn’t feel like it. She couldn’t see past her pain UNTIL God gave her a WORD AND SIGHT!

***Sarai would have been around 76 and Abraham 86 when Ishmael was born. Sarai she was age 90-91 when Issac was born and Abraham was age 100. (Genesis 17)***

 (Psalm 139 — David wasn’t the only one who learned that God is a God who sees, loves compassionately and cares deeply, Hagar was shown God’s love and watchful eye upon her too. She said, You are a God who sees me.)

INSITE & WORD: Perhaps some of you have suffered such devastating circumstances, you are where Hagar was; you are at your dead-end and ready to “throw-in-the-towel” and give up. I want to tell you, it’s not time for you to die and God has something beyond what you see right now. You have life in you, focus on life, and not death!

Hagar thought she was all alone in the wilderness as she cried, but God was with her, watching her, thinking about her the entire time. God had sent his angel to bring her a message of comfort and instruction.

INSITE & WORD: God is a God who sees you, past, present and future. He knows every detail about you inside and out. He knows what you are feeling and the despair you feel in your situation(s). You are weary, you are tired of it all, you feel unloved and unseen. Your feelings are not reality.

Reality Is: God has a plan and you don’t need to go beyond God’s plan and make things worse for yourself. Wait on God, stay the course and although it’s a hard time and situation right now, you will get through this. God will be with you in the storm. He will bear you up though it all and you will survive! God hasn’t taken his eyes off you and there are no accidents in God. Trust and believe!

2 Chronicles 16:9  "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His…

Just because Hagar felt no hope, did not mean hope was not there:        

Never judge your future just by your present.                                                               

 Hagar was about to make a huge mistake but God met her. God assures Hagar of protection of her son. God knew the child in his present as well as all of his future. God instructed Hagar to do what was hard.  When God instructs you to do what is very hard, He is likely trying to save you from something that is harder!

God never sleeps or slumbers:  Psalm 121:2-5  My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.  ³ He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.  ⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.  ⁵ The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand.

Believe God’s promises! Be of Good Cheer, It shall be as God says.

Hagar needed to allow God to direct her steps to a sure and better place:  God told Hagar to go back home and submit to her mistress. God knew what was best for both Hagar and her unborn child.

Go Home and Live!

The Best or safest places are not always the easiest places, God sees all the details of the future, God knows the thoughts and makeup of our person, He knows what is best all the way around. We must trust and follow Him.

Proverbs 15:3  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.

Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

 

God knows all the details about you:  Matthew 10:30-31  … the very hairs of your head are all numbered. "Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Hagar learns and accepts God as her God. She has her own personal relationship with God…Genesis 16:13-16  Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "Thou art a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?" (Awe of his Holiness)  ¹⁴ Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.  ¹⁵ So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.  ¹⁶ And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Take God’s hand even as Hagar and the many other followers of God have and walk through life’s good times and bad times together!                                                

He is the God who See’s All and Knows All! Psalm 139:1-18  ….It’s true! You are always on God’s mind, always in his view, always in his love. Go rest in Him and his love.