Becoming Like Jesus: Confession and RepentanceSample

An Overlooked Servant

Today, let’s keep learning about the God we worship. A God who never stops pursuing us, even when we run and hide.

Let’s read about it.

Pray…

Heavenly Father, thank you that even when I run and hide, you never leave me. That is a gift of mercy. Jesus, thank you for your promise that you’re with me always. Holy Spirit, thank you for being the fulfillment of that promise everyday. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Read…

And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. Genesis 16:11 NLT

Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” Genesis 16:13 NLT

Consider….

If you don’t know the story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar, here’s a quick run down: God made Abram (later called Abraham) a promise. God said that through him and his descendants He would form a family that would bless the entire world. There was just one problem. Abram didn’t have any kids.

So, his wife Sarai came up with this plan to take a shortcut to God’s promise. She had a servant named Hagar who, unlike her, could have children. So Abram and Hagar got together and Hagar ended up pregnant.

Sarai started to resent Hagar, even though the pregnancy was Sarai’s idea. Tensions ran high, Sarai mistreated Hagar, Hagar ran away, and God pursued her with His love and mercy.

The angel of the Lord met Hagar and told her, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress.”

God heard Hagar and God hears you. And just like He moved with compassion towards her, He will move with compassion towards you. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done or what’s been done to us—God’s mercy is still available. He’s not distant or detached when it comes to the hurt we experience, He’s close and compassionate. We can call on Him today.

Practice…

Bring your hurt to God.

Do you believe that God cares about the hurt you’ve experienced? Why or why not? Spend time working through those questions today. Invite God to heal and soften your heart and reveal more of His character to you.

Listen…

Find a quiet place where you can continue to spend time with God. Maybe you have a favorite chair, a certain spot in your backyard, or a particularly cozy closet. Wherever you need to go to limit distractions, do it.

Set a timer for five minutes. Ask God to speak to you. When you get distracted, come back to God by praying this Scripture:

The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. Psalm 145:8 NLT

When the timer ends, thank God for the time you spent together and go into your day looking for opportunities to love Him and love others.