On a trip we took in 1999, we met this little boy in Israel. We were wandering around the desert and he and his sweet camel were on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. He let us know that if we took his picture, he expected some money. This smart little guy had already learned that it's a good thing to look after yourself.
My husband has had contact with camels while mapping some of the world; Afghanistan, Iran, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, etc. He's had camels spit at him while loading them up with mapping equipment and can't be convinced they can be "sweet". Israel is a wonderful place to visit, the hub of the three major religions of the world, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We also spent time in Turkey and Greece on this trip - 'The Cradle of Civilization'. The history of the Bible comes alive as you explore these areas of the world.
There comes a time in life, for most of us, when we need a little help and reassurance. I'm so grateful to have a God who sees me, knows me, and can lead me out of trouble and give me a sense of peace.
"You are the God who sees me," . . ."I have now seen the One who sees me". Genesis 16:13
These words were spoken by Hagar who was the mother of Ishmael. God had promised Abraham and his wife, Sarah, a son. Many years went by and there was no son. Not surprising because both were very old and past normal child bearing years. However they believed God's promise, up to a point. They decided it wasn't going to happen without some human intervention. Very quickly, faith was replaced by human effort. Sound familiar? How often do we 'roll up our sleeves' and attempt to help God?
With Sarah's consent, Abraham took her maidservant Hagar as his wife and she became pregnant. Hagar began to look at herself as the favored one and she "despised" her mistress, Sarah. Sarah fought back by mistreating her so Hagar ran away into the desert. This is where she encountered the Lord Himself, Jesus. He spoke to her, directing her to return home and submit to her mistress. The "Angel of the Lord", is the incarnate Jesus. Whenever God has appeared to man it's been in the person of Jesus Christ, even prior to His birth in Bethlehem. Out in the desert, Hagar recognized God immediately. He can meet us anywhere at anytime we need Him.
Hagar was given some information about her son. I would think this would have been disturbing however the Scripture doesn't record a response from Hagar.
"The Angel of the Lord also said to her (Hagar) I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count." And then He added,
"You are now with child
and you will have a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the Lord has heard of your
misery.
He will be a wild donkey of a man;
and his hand will be against
everyone
and everyone's hand against
him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers.". Genesis 16: 10 - 12
This is the beginning of the Arab nation and the prophesy is chilling as we witness daily the drama happening before our eyes. However I have great peace in knowing that God sees our struggles and I know a solution is ultimately in His hands. What can we do? Share our faith in a sovereign God, love instead of hate, and stand up for what we know to be true. I can't say this better than the Apostle Paul who wrote in the book of Romans,
"For your sake we face death all
day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8: 36 -39
2015, a new year. I pray that we are able to hold on to that which is true and not be overcome with hopelessness. Jesus overcame the world, and if you believe in Him, you are "in Christ" and have also overcome the world.
PRAISE BE TO GOD.
