Author Archives: Tamar

Genesis 43:1-46:27

“I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.” Genesis 43:9

“For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.'” Genesis 44:32

As a writer and a reader these two passages speak such tremendous volumes it’s not even funny! As I writer I see character arc or a change of heart. As a reader I see an older brother that has spent years regretting the things he did to Joseph and isn’t about to make the same mistake twice. As a daughter of God Almighty I see a God who lost the first Adam and isn’t about to let anyone else slip through His fingers again.

In Judah’s act of brotherly loyalty I see Jesus stepping up to the throne of God and saying to our Father, “I will be a pledge of their safety. From MY hand you shall require them.” And He did. It cost Jesus both His hands and both His feet and a stab in the gut. He paid our price of admission into the throne room of God. Who are we not to appreciate that sacrifice by USING that ticket and entering routinely into the presence of Love itself. Through the Grace of the cross our Father’s head has been lifted from sorrow and wrath to Love and acceptance and JOY UNENDING because His children can come back home now. Hallelujah my friend, your price of admission has been paid. So let’s enter into His courts with thanksgiving today! Let’s praise Him with everything we have inside us and allow Him to come and fill in the gaping holes the world has created within us. He is our strength and our solace. In Jesus name, we will never be the same.

Genesis 40:1-42:38

“You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regard the throne will I be greater than you.” Genesis 41:40

Dreams are so over looked in this day and age. All too often we throw them aside like yesterday’s mail, without ever taking the time to stop and think about them and the fact that perhaps they might be from God. Maybe, all those prayers asking for His will are being answered in your dreams.

You know what God just revealed to me? Joseph had two dreams, in both of them everyone around him was bowing in submission to him. Now, in his dreams the ones submitting were his family members, which is the very thing that made his brothers hate him and sell him into slavery at their first opportunity. This was not new information to me. However, today, just now as I’m typing this, God revealed to me that although the exact contents of Joseph’s dreams didn’t come true until the very end of his story and after thirteen very long years. The premise of his dreams was fulfilled almost immediately! In Potiphar’s house he rose to power quite quickly and everyone in the house, except for the family themselves, were subject to Joseph. Prophetic dream fulfilled.

In the jail house Joseph again rose to power very quickly and everyone in the jail, except for the jailer, was subject to Joseph. Prophetic dream fulfilled once again.

In today’s reading we find Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dream and rising to the highest power possible! And while, like I said, the exact contents of his prophetic dreams hadn’t been fulfilled yet, the premise of them continued to prove true. There was no one in all the land of Egypt that held more power then Joseph, save the Pharaoh himself. No matter where Joseph was his dreams were being fulfilled right before his eyes time and time again!

Now that’s a side of this story I’ve never heard told before! And what HOPE it brings doesn’t it!?! That while Joseph had to wait for the exact contents of his personal prophecy to be fulfilled, the theme or premise of his dreams kept coming true time and time again! I had always seen Joseph pining for his dreams to be fulfilled and for his family to bow down in submission to him, but now I’m not so sure that’s how the story really went. I’m thinking that Joseph, time and time again just kept shaking his head in amazement at how God was working all things together for his favor!!!! That his dreams became a touch stone of hope for him; each time life threw him a curve ball God helped him hit it out of the park! J

If you feel like life if throwing you nothing but curve balls and all you’ve been batting is strikes, know this; GOD IS WITH YOU! No matter who you are, what you’re doing, or what’s going on in your life, God is with you. He is for you. And if God is for you…then WHO can be against you and still stand? Hallelujah! Take heart my friend; you have been made in His image. He has overcome this world, and so will you. No matter what!

Overcomer by Mandisa

Genesis 36:1-39:23

Bend (Joseph) by Brandon Heath from The Story

Reach by Peter Furler

Some things just don’t go the way we plan them.

Joseph’s brothers planned to kill him, that plan didn’t work out (thankfully). Reuben planned to rescue Joseph from the pit and return him to his father, that plan didn’t work out. Potiphar’s wife planned to seduce and sleep with Joseph, that plan didn’t work out. Potiphar planned to keep Joseph as head of his household for as long as he possibly could, that plan didn’t work out. Judah planned to enjoy watching his son’s children grow and prosper, that plan didn’t work out. Tamar planned on having children…that plan worked out.

This isn’t where I had planned on this post going, but it’s working out! 😉 God knows the plans He has for you, His plans work out. In Acts chapter five we find the story of the Apostles being arrested for preaching in the name of Jesus. And much like in the story of Joseph how Reuben diffuses his brothers blood lust, “Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. And he said to them, ‘Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men about four hundred, joined him. He was killed and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!'” (Acts 5:34-39)

God’s plans don’t fail. Period. He is GOD.

I think we fail to remember that far too often. He is GOD ALMIGHTY, if He can speak this entire world into being is it truly too hard for Him to speak His plans into your life and then not help you make them come to pass?

As humans living inside of time, we live in the moment. We are only able to see as far into the future as this very moment. Sure we can make plans according to what we *think* is going to happen in the future, but that doesn’t mean that those plans will come to fruition. But God doesn’t live in the moment like we do. He stands outside of time, far above all time and space in a place where He can not only see the present and the past but the future as well. And it is from this place where He makes His plans. From where God stands and plans He can see what’s coming up ahead and can direct our steps toward the correct path so that we can avoid coming disasters. However, in order to avoid certain coming disasters may involve a present danger.

Just look at Joseph! I’m going to try not to give away the ending for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, but as of today’s reading, Joseph is in some serious hot water! His brothers despise him, he’s been sold into slavery and then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, he is then thrown into prison for something he didn’t even do! Talk about life kicking you when you’re down!

But Joseph isn’t alone in all this. Through every step of his journey “the LORD was with Joseph”. (Genesis 39:2) And because of this one simple truth, Joseph’s story works out in the end. And so can ours.

Today, it may feel like your family hates you, they may have even rejected you and sent you away to live somewhere else. You may be lonely in a deep dark pit; you may be tied to a stinky caravan of Ishmaelite traders, or be wearing next to nothing as a sign of your slavery. You may even be bound up in chains sitting in a jail cell wondering if your life will ever turn around. You may be mourning the loss of a husband and the loss of a potential child. But you’re not alone. The same God that was with Joseph and Tamar is the same God who is with you. Through it all, He is there, with you, helping you get through the tough dark moments in life so that you can enjoy the more delectable light moments in life. No matter what is happening in life today, you are not alone. You never have been and you never will be. God is with you. And if God is with you, who can be against you?

Genesis 32:1-35:29

“Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” Genesis 35:3

My friends, oh my friends! Some days I have to just shake my head at how the Lord works; in mysterious ways! Awhile back I was praying and God showed me a vision of how He works. It was like one of those really early arcade games where His blessings were falling from the top of the screen and I was the player at the bottom of the screen catching the falling blessings in a BIG basket. God was holding the joystick guiding me in the right direction in order to catch the right prizes at the right time.

Since I’ve been working on starting this school, that is precisely how it has been! Only the farther I’ve gone, the more and more the “game” has turned into sometime akin to Pac-Man. Do you remember that game? Where you start out the game in the middle of a maze, surrounded with ghosts that will kill you if they touch you. And all along each part of the maze there are these little dots that you eat up and gain points. Then in each of the four corners of the maze are larger dots that are worth more points. If you eat all four of these dots you move on to the next level.

With Grace University I started in the middle with what I knew; I needed a building, kids and teachers. Kids came quickly and so did the teachers, but the building has been an amazing maze filled with little tid-bits of new knowledge and advice, each apparent “dead end” then changing into a turning point where God was letting me know that I had traveled far enough in this direction and collected all the necessary little dots along that path and it was time to turn in a new direction and start picking up more little dots of knowledge and wisdom all leading me in the direction of the bigger dots along the path. All the while the deathly ghosts are chasing me trying to stop me from getting any farther down any of the paths.

It’s been an adventure to be sure; but a fun one nonetheless. Especially since I know that at the end there is a school waiting that will be filled with kids to love and teachers to befriend and parents to help. Your prayers mean the world to me, you have no idea how much I value them! My goal for this school is to use it to enrich our community as much as is possible. It is a school, but it’s so much more than that too. It’s a home and we’re a family – we just haven’t all met yet. And as long as I keep going in the direction God is leading me, we’ll be there before we know it!

Genesis 29:31-31:55

“When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.” Genesis 29:31

Sometimes things just don’t work out the way we think that they will. Jacob worked for seven years to have Rachel as his wife, only to wake up the next morning with Leah in his nuptial bed. Then in order to get Rachel he worked another seven years. Leah was hated by their husband, while Rachel was loved. Leah had children while Rachel had none. Life just simply doesn’t go according to our plans does it?

I mean, you can almost guarantee that Leah didn’t plan on being despised by her husband, or that Rachel had planned on being barren in a society where fertility was the only thing a woman was really prized for. When we look at how Leah named each successive child we can see what she was feeling at the time that she bore them.

Reuben: “Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.”

Simeon: “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, He has given me this son also.”

Levi: “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.”

Judah: “This time I will praise the LORD.”

With each son she hoped against all hope that this son would turn Jacob’s eyes toward her in love, yet they never did. And by the time Judah arrived, she had finally figured out that the fruit of her loins wouldn’t turn his eyes toward her, so she turned her eyes toward God instead. At some point in between Levi’s birth and Judah’s she came to the end of herself and figured out that no matter how many sons she gave to Jacob, it would never be enough to make him love her they way he loved Rachel. She longed to be prized and doted on, she longed to be held like a priceless jewel in his crown. She longed for him to linger in her presence just because he loved her presence so much. She longed for him to talk to her and tell her the secrets of his heart; to tell her about his dreams and his hopes, his fears and his aspirations. But all she got from him was his duty. His duty to perform his marital duty toward her, to provide for her needs, to give her the opportunity of children, a roof over her head and food in her belly. Yet those weren’t the things that she longed for from him. She longed for his undivided attention.

For years there were times that I would do absolutely everything in my womanly power to try and turn my husband’s attention toward me. Until one day I figured out that no matter how hard I try to get my husband to look at me, it’s not going to make a difference. So I took my eyes off my husband and turned them toward Jesus instead. And I’ll never take them off Him again.

My husband is neither my problem nor my responsibility, he’s Jesus’. My husband is not my god, nor is he my savior, Jesus is. While my husband is the person God uses to provide for our family, he is not our provider, Jesus is. While my husband is the head of our household, he is not our leader, Jesus is. For years I looked to my husband to be the source of many things in my life, without realizing, he’s human and unable to provide for me all the things I really need. But Jesus is both able and willing.

In today’s reading we got to watch as Leah did everything in her power to win her husband over. And then, there between verses 34 and 35 we see the change in her focus. While her husband wasn’t willing or able to give her the love she longed for, Jesus was. And the same is true for each and every one of us today. While our husband’s may not be willing or able to give us the deep and fulfilling love that we long for, Jesus can!

While our husbands’ may not talk to us about what is in their hearts, Jesus does. While our husbands’ may not be able to provide for all our spiritual, emotional or physical needs, Jesus can.

Jesus can and is more than willing to take all the time you need to have a conversation with you about anything and everything that you want to talk about. And more! Take some time to curl up with the Good Book today and see what He has to say to you through His word. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to come and speak to you and with you and through you. I think you’ll be amazed at the intimacy He longs to have with you; an intimacy that no human bond can ever achieve.

Jesus is ALL you need.

Genesis 26:6-29:30

“We see plainly that the LORD has been with you.” Genesis 26:28

Lord,

I want to be like that. I want to be someone that people can just look at me and know that You are with me. I want to be different in such a way that people will spend time with me and just know that that I have spent time with You. I want to be someone that isn’t so caught up in my religion that I see everyone’s faults instead of their beauty. I want to be someone who receives Your love for me in such a way that Your love becomes the only thing I seek after, and yet never have to seek it because it’s always there. Lord, You are so good and so amazing to me, I want people to see that in me and want it for themselves. Because they too can have what I have if they would only seek You first. Lord, the things of this world have an amazing way of drawing us in and taking our eyes of You and Your love for us. Please help me to keep You in my sights and to allow the things of this world to grow strangely dim in the light of Your wonderful face.

Father thank You for showing me your face and Your light! Thank You for supporting me and always being my tower of strength and refuge. Thank You for providing for all our needs according to Your glorious riches through Christ Jesus my King. Thank You for justifying me with Your Grace as a gift, and OH what a gift it is! Thank You for showing me the best features of Your gift of Grace and allowing me to be the bearer of Your good news in this world! Please help me to spread Your gospel to all the world and make disciples; not just followers, not just students, or servants, but friends!

Jesus thank You for being my friend!!! You truly are the greatest gift in all the world and I can’t imagine my life without You in it! You are my everything. The thought of living just one moment without Your presence is devastating to me and I honestly can’t imagine how in the world anyone could live without You. The peace that You bring into my heart when all the world is trembling with fear around me, it thrills my soul to know You are near.

There is nothing like knowing that I am never, no not ever, alone because You are with me. I am so sorry for ever having doubted that Lord. There have been times when I doubted Your love and Your presence in my life and I apologize, please help me with my unbelief.

You are so good! Thank You for being You! Thank You for loving me when no one else did, thank You for trusting me even when You really shouldn’t. Thank You for being with me when no one else was. Thank You for being YOU!

Amen!

Genesis 24:1-26:5

“Please tell me whose daughter you are.” Genesis 24:23

Genesis 20:1-23:20

“The LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as He had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.” Genesis 21:1-2

Today’s reading was so special to me this morning! Every word was like balm to my soul. Things with the Preschool have been moving a little, OK a lot, slower than I would have liked. Ideally I wanted to open the school the Tuesday after Labor day since that is a traditional starting day for Preschools. It’s not looking like that will be happening this year. And I’m OK with that, but I’ll admit to at least a little bit of disappointment. However, things are moving along and I CAN’T complain about that!

The LORD is doing as He said and He is setting up the school for tremendous success, of that I have no doubt! He is so faithful!

Genesis 17:1-19:38

“He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, ‘O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.'” Genesis 18:2-3

Oh do I have a story for the dog lovers out there today! So the reading today was, God’s promise to Abram to give him a son through Sarai, then as a reiteration of this promise the LORD comes and visits Abraham in physical form along with two angels, all three dressed as travelers passing by. In Hebrews 13:2 the writer actually references this visit in their letter, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Well this morning I myself got a similar visit/opportunity! I had completed my reading for the morning and was getting the kids and hubby ready for the day. Sean had found a funny cat video on Facebook that I was sharing with the kids when I heard our dog barking at the front door! I had let him out and accidentally shut the door so he couldn’t come back in! I literally ran from the kitchen to the front door to open it and let him in. Now, he’s a wiener dog, so when I opened the door my eyes were pretty close to the ground, but as I lifted them I was completely startled to see two other black dogs standing with him on our porch! I jumped and let out a bit of a scream of surprise. Then I literally doubled over in laughter. It was our neighbor’s dog Lilly that gets out ALL the time and some other little black corgi dog I haven’t met before. But the funny part of it wasn’t just that they were there, it was the looks on their faces! Countless times I have opened the door to children standing on my porch asking if one of my kids can come out and play. THAT was the look these dogs had on their faces; even Skippy. When I opened that door all three dogs just stood there for a second with that look on their faces like, “Can we come in and play?” And I instantly thought of the three “strangers” standing on Abraham’s doorstep and smiled to myself. Skippy ran into the house and then looked back at the two other dogs as if to say, “Come on guys! I’ve got toys!”

I asked the neighbor dog, “Lilly, what are you doing?” and she jumped and ran back down the steps and out of the yard with the little black corgi following her. I laughed so hard I about burst at the seams!

Now I have to tell you, when I sat down to write this all out for you and I re-read the scripture I about fell out of my chair, because I had just DONE everything that Abraham had done! I ran to greet them at the door; I lifted my eyes to see three smallish black dogs standing on my doorstep. AND I bowed in laughter at the sight of them! My God is so amazing! He delights in making me laugh. He knows what I think is funny and what I don’t. To some people (you know who you are J) to open your door and find three dogs on your porch would terrify the living spit out of you, me, I laughed hysterically and called my husband to tell him! Then I called another one of my friends, who LOVES Skippy, to tell her! Spread the laughter and joy right?

You may not think that this story has very much to do with the scriptures today, but I hope that it’s made you laugh like I did, because that IS what the scripture was about today. You see, there’s this amazing power in laughter. A laugh can make all the stress, hurt, pain, worry, tension and fear you’ve been experiencing lately simply melt away. Laughter is tremendous medicine; a cheerful spirit is good for you! (Proverbs 15:15 “All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.”)

Can you imagine how happy Abraham and Sarah were the day they found out they were actually pregnant? The laughter that had to have filled that house! Amazing! I mean, look at the scriptures, they laughed when God told them that they would be pregnant and have the child within the next year. And the child’s name, Isaac, means laughter!

There is something powerful about a promise being close to fulfillment that causes us to laugh. Sometimes out of doubt, Sarah, and sometimes out of joy, Abraham. But either way, we’re laughing! And that’s always good for us.

I want to share a song with you that I absolutely love! It’s from the CD that came out with a while back, called The Story. Each song is sung from a different Biblical person’s perspective in regards to their story. This song is Abraham and Sarah’s song. To me, the chorus is just so amazingly powerful; because God has dreamed a dream about each of us and our future here on earth. He’s dreamed a dream in you. And that is powerful, knowing that God has a plan, many plans, for you and your future and for your good. And you don’t even have to know what they are in order to fulfill them! How awesome is that!?! I’m willing to bet that somewhere, planted deep within your heart, there’s a dream just aching to come out and take life. And I’m also willing to bet that it’s something you’ve denied yourself for far too long. Something that people might make fun of you for, or that your parents didn’t think you could make a living doing that. What if that thing is God’s dream in you? And what if right now is the time for that dream to come out and become a reality in your life? It’s never too late; you’re not dead yet are you?

God had a dream for Abraham, that he would be the father of many nations. And He placed that dream deep down inside of Abraham in his mother’s womb. Abraham harbored that dream his entire life, he married Sarah and she was barren – no children, no fulfillment of his name (Abram means exalted father). But God wasn’t finished with him yet, in fact He had barely even started! Over and over, in almost every interaction that is recorded between God and Abraham, God mentions His promise to Abraham to bless him with a very large family. Yet every month Sarah’s “way of the woman” comes and their hearts fall once again at yet another month of empty arms. Yet they still held on to that shred of hope that God would still fulfill His promise to them. Then Sarah’s cycle finally stops altogether, hope seems completely gone. And there, in that moment God sets foot on their door and makes them laugh with the proclamation that now is the time. That now is the time that she will conceive and that she will finally bear this child of promise, Isaac the child of laughter.

It’s NEVER too late to fulfill that dream God has dreamed in you. Not ever. He is a God of the impossible, where He makes the impossible possible for those who believe! However, there’s a good chance that there’s something that you need to do first. Sarah’s cycles had ceased and Abraham was a seriously old dude. Yet to conceive this child, God was telling them was coming, they had to… well… you know. Isaac would never have been if they hadn’t had enough faith to at least TRY, just one more time. And that’s God’s challenge for you and I today. Do you have enough faith to at least TRY to… well… you know, just one more time. J

Genesis 11:10-16:16

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing my God can not do! My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing my God can not do. The mountains are His, the rivers are His, the stars are His handiwork too-o! My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing my God can not do! (one of my favorite kid songs, it was just on my heart and I needed to share it with you today. J )

You see, yesterday I was low. I was discouraged, downhearted and depressed. And while God has not yet changed my circumstance, He has still accomplished the impossible; He changed me and my attitude toward my circumstance through the strength of His word.

He had me take that list of obstacles and pair each one of them with at least one scripture from His Word. Basically He had me take each fiery dart and put it out with Living water. And it started, where else, in today’s reading. (Shaking my head and laughing) Only God!

After the battle with the foreign kings and rescuing Lot, after paying his tithe to Melchizedek, “the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: ‘Fear not, Abram I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.'” (Genesis 15:1) From here God pointed me forward to Psalm 33. This Psalm became a river in the desert for this parched wanderer today. I pray that it does the same for you!

“Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to Him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the word of the LORD is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; He puts the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him! For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom He has chosen as His heritage!

The LORD looks down from heaven; He sees all the children of man; from where He sits enthroned He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. The king is not saved by His great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love, that He may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in You.”

Psalm 91:4 says, “He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”

And Ephesians 6:16 says, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;”

I don’t know what kind of circumstances you’re facing today. But the LORD is the “God of seeing”. (Genesis 16:13) He sees you, He sees your afflictions, He sees your pain and your frustrations and your attackers. He sees because He is with you. Right there, like a spring in the desert, waiting to be tapped into and used. His word is a fountain of Living Water just waiting to quench your thirsty soul with nourishing hope. The hope and confidence that comes from knowing that it’s not about you, it’s about HIM; you are not in control, He is.

He is in control, even when it doesn’t feel like it. He is your shield and your very great reward. He is your fortress of strength when you are weak and tired of fighting. He is a home for the homeless, hope for the hopeless, rest for the weary, strength for the weak. He is an ever present help in times of trouble. And it is HIS faithfulness that shields you from all harm and destruction. Things may seem hopelessly out of control, but the one who spins the planets into orbit without crashing them into one another, is perfectly capable of making sure that your world doesn’t spin out of His control either.

You know what God taught me today that I had never noticed before? Ishmael’s name. Of all the lessons and all the sermons I’ve heard on the two sons of Israel, one the son of promise, the other the son by human will, not once did anyone point out what Ishmael’s name means. Ishmael means “God hears”. For someone who believes adamantly that no baby is an accident because they are impossible to make without God knitting them together in their mother’s womb, each and every one of them is fearfully and wonderfully made. Even Ishmael. Ishmael, even as a wild donkey of a man with his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, God was with him there in his mother’s womb. God was with them in this moment of frightened desperation and rejection, He HEARD their plight. This woman was a servant, given to a man to lie with and to bear children for her mistress. Not for herself, not for a family, but to give to another woman; who then treated her with jealous hatred. God saw and heard her tears. God’s words to her next to that spring were words of hope and encouragement. Her child, though his life would be filled with strife, would be a great man with nations inside him waiting to be born.

This spoke volumes to me, as one who has acted quite faithlessly as of late. That even in our faithlessness, God is still faithful and He is still good and filled with Grace toward us. He HEARS the pain that’s hiding behind our faithless actions. He HEARS the fears that well up inside us and choke our throats with sobs. He is so good, especially when we’re not. And if that isn’t reason to celebrate, I don’t what is. J

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God can not do. My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God can not do. The mountains are His, the rivers are His, the stars are His handiwork too-o! My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God can not do! FOR YOU!