1 Cor. 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Tag: Psalm 56:8

Do You Even See Me, God?

(Gen 16:13)  And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

(Gen 21:17)  And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

There are times where I have been so deep in sorrow that I asked God this same question. I’m sure I’m not alone and those of you who are reading this have or are going through this same thing. My mind races with thoughts revolving around my problem. Surely God does not want this daughter to be overcome with despair and grief!

I am encouraged by the account of Hagar because I see God’s hand in her life. He hears her cries and actually sees her. The Creator of the universe has time to see a woman pouring her heart out; that means He has the time for me. He hears me – He sees me. It’s hard to comprehend, isn’t it?

The Lord sees my pain and He hears my cries for my prodigal son to return. He hears your cries when your body is wracked with pain! Each tear that we shed is preserved in His book, and so are yours! He knows each struggle, each pain, and each battle.

(Psa 56:8)  Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

As in Hagar’s case, there is nothing wrong in crying out to the Lord with our problems. He knows our needs even before we ask (Matthew 6:8); He hears us, and He sees us. He is not some faraway being portrayed as a puppeteer as some claim. He is God Almighty, and nothing is too hard for Him.

(Genesis 18:14)  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

(Jeremiah 32:17)  Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

(Jeremiah 32:27)  Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

When Joshua was commissioned by God to lead his people, God told him exactly what He was going to do for him.

Jos 1:5-9  There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.  (6)  Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.  (7)  Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.  (8)  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.  (9)  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

As Christians, we can glean from Joshua’s commission because we can see that God is in every aspect of Joshua’s life. Just as He was with Hagar, so is He with us. What is your struggle, reader? Does it seem hopeless, overwhelming, and insurmountable? God shines in those situations! He may not remove your burden, but He will help you carry it.

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Hymns 2.0 – Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
the shadow of a mighty Rock
within a weary land;
a home within the wilderness,
a rest upon the way,
from the burning of the noontide heat
and the burden of the day.

Upon the cross of Jesus
mine eye at times can see
the very dying form of One
who suffered there for me:
and from my stricken heart with tears
two wonders I confess,
the wonders of redeeming love
and my unworthiness.

3 I take, O cross, thy shadow
for my abiding place:
I ask no other sunshine than
the sunshine of his face;
content to let the world go by,
to know no gain nor loss;
my sinful self my only shame,
my glory all the cross.

Elizabeth C. Clephane

The History Behind the Hymn

I never heard of Elizabeth Clephane until I did the research on this hymn. Of course, I knew the hymn but knew nothing about its author. What a blessing to read of her life! She is in the same company as a few of my friends who are undergoing the same frail health.

Elizabeth Cecilia Douglas Clephane was born in Scotland in 1830 and died in 1869. The daughter of a county sheriff, she lived most of her brief life near Edinburgh.

Though in frail health most of her life, Elizabeth found the strength to help the poor and sick in her town. She and her sister gave all that they could spare to charity including, it is said, selling their horse and carriage for the benefit of the needy. The townspeople of Melrose referred to Elizabeth as “the Sunbeam.”

“Beneath the cross of Jesus,” focusing on the shelter of the cross, was first published three years after the author’s death in 1872 under the title “Breathings on the Border,” perhaps a double entendre referring to a geographical location near Melrose, the Scottish Borders, and a reference to the border between life and death. 

Originally five stanzas, another omitted stanza, perhaps autobiographical, provides further insight into the comfort that the writer found in the shadow of the cross and the inspiration that the cross gave her as she anticipated her own death:

There lies beneath its shadow,
but on the further side,
the darkness of an open grave
that gapes both deep and wide;
and there between us stands the cross,
two arms outstretched to save,
like watchman set to guard the way
from that eternal grave.

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-beneath-the-cross-of-jesus

A Lesson for Me

Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

When the realization hits as to why Christ came to earth and what He did for me, my heart was broken. Someone else took my punishment!

Why would the Lord do this for me? With my finite mind, there is no way I can comprehend the mind of God. But what I can comprehend is His Word. The Scriptures tell us of His love (John 3:16), and that His mercy is new every single morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)! There is balm to be had for the deepest wounds!

Upon the cross of Jesus
mine eye at times can see
the very dying form of One
who suffered there for me:
and from my stricken heart with tears
two wonders I confess,
the wonders of redeeming love
and my unworthiness.

Message for today

The moment I meditate on God’s redeeming love, and my unworthiness of His saving grace, my heart is stricken with the same tears as Elizabeth’s. How many tears have been shed for the same reasons? Each one of those tears is recorded in Heaven. (Psalm 56:8) Every heartache, every tear of joy, every tear shed when I lost someone dear, is known by my Heavenly Father!

Are you hurting today, Reader? Have you spent half the night crying? Are you in the same ill health as Elizabeth? If you are born again, your Father knows all about it. He is there to apply that balm to your distraught heart. Will He remove your sickness or problem? I don’t know. But what I do know is that He will provide you with the strength to live through each and every day.

But if you are not born again, it’s time you find forgiveness and peace at the foot of the cross of Jesus. He stands waiting to hear from you. It is there you will find peace for your soul! (Matthew 11:28-30)

Pro 15:29  The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

The Lord hears your prayer when you turn to Him with a repentant heart and ask His forgiveness. Invite Him into your life – make a decision to follow Him every day. He hears the prayers of His children. If you do not get saved, the verse above says that He is far from you. Do not be far, Reader. Turn to Him before it’s eternally too late.

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

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