From Part 6 … “Are we willing to serve without the limelight shining on us?
Are we willing to do the boring stuff without any accolades? …”
Do we have a servant’s heart? I admit that sometimes, I don’t. I want words of appreciation, I want people to praise me. I want to be acknowledged that I have worked hard, sacrificed much. But when you serve at home, one can feel really lonely and unappreciated But, God sees. God sees when we think no one sees or cares. He is El Roi.
Be Encouraged to know that He is the God-Who-Sees.
Remember the story of Hagar and Sarah back in Genesis 16? Abraham was given a promise by God at the age of 75 that he will be the father of nations. But he waited and waited and waited and waited. 10 years of waiting and still no child came from his wife Sarah So they decided to help God (note : this is always a bad idea!!!) Sarah (Sarai) presented her maid, Hagar to Abraham (Abram) so that they could have a child through Hagar, as according to the customs of that day.
But after Hagar conceived, she gloated over her mistress’ state (Scripture says in Genesis 16:4, “And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress”) which irritated Sarah so much she complained to Abraham who told her to do whatever she wished since Hagar belonged to her. Not a very godly model of a husband or a master!
The Runaway Slave Girl
And so Sarah ill-treated her (the Bible covers maid abuse!) We are told that, “Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.” The ill treatment must have been bad enough for Hagar to run away while pregnant. She probably was feeling used, abused and totally miserable. In her mind, trekking through dessert land while pregnant, is a better deal then staying under the authority of her mistress! And she must have sunk lower and lower into the depths of depression with each step she took. And then…God spoke to her directly.
You-are-the-God-who-sees!
He asked her – “Where have you come from and where are you going?” That opened the doorway for her to tell God what Sarah had done to her and why she was running away. And then God told her – go back. I am in control. I will watch over you. And not only will I watch over you, I will bless and multiply your offspring. (paraphrased)
She then she declares, You-are-the-God-who-sees me! (NIV)
God Sees Everything and Everyone
This is a heathen Egyptian slave girl. The non-chosen one. But God saw her need and reached out to her. He “heard her affliction” scriptures say. How much more does He care for us, His children?
Our God is a God-who-sees! He sees us rocking a baby to sleep when we ourselves desperately need to sleep. He sees us as we tend to the sick child in the middle of the night, wiping up puke all over the mattress. He sees us explaining maths to our non-comprehending child for the umpteenth time. He sees us struggling to haul our tired and maybe even sick body out of bed to prepare food for our children and/or send them to school on time, when all we want is to just sleep. He sees us all the times we cry into our pillows because we don’t know what to do with our children. He sees us giving the last piece of chocolate/ice cream/cake to them!
He sees. He sees. He sees. He is the God-who-sees!
So, let us be encouraged, dear mothers! Don’t feel abandoned, don’t feel alone. Nothing escapes His eye. No one can fly under His radar. So let us all Be Encouraged!
… Come join me for the concluding post next week …
Some questions to ponder this week :
- Do you feel that you are all alone?
- Do you feel that no one sees or cares about what you are doing for the sake of your family?
- Is God near or far from you?
- What is your relationship with God? Is he a personal or impersonal God?
The full series of Be Encouraged
- Part 1 – Be Encouraged: Introduction
- Part 2 – Be Encouraged to see motherhood as a ministry
- Part 3 – Be Encouraged to see our children as blessings
- Part 4 – Be Encouraged to fix our eyes on Jesus
- Part 5 – Be Encouraged, not afraid
- Part 6 – Be Encouraged while living out the daily grind of life
- Part 7 – Be Encouraged to know that He is the God-Who-Sees
- Part 8 – Be Encouraged and embrace motherhood wholeheartedly