Fully Known

 

Do you ever feel like you are worthless?  It happens to older people who question their value when they are no longer able to do things they once did without a second thought.  It happens to teenagers when they fall into the trap of comparing themselves to others in their social media.  Young parents can start to feel like life is passing them by when the days are full of mini-vans, diapers, and runny noses.  Few things can make a person feel more useless than living with chronic illness that makes them dependent on the help of others. Those who struggle to find a way to 'fit in' because of social awkwardness often are plagued by feelings of worthlessness.

The world we live in tends to assign value to the bright, the beautiful, the highly productive, the one with the sparkling personality, the high achiever. In our culture of celebrity, being known is the prize most valued by many, but does a thousand voices yelling our name mean we have true value?

 God’s way is different! We don't have to be young, smart, thin, highly creative, healthy, or rich, to be useful to our Lord. Do you think you must lead a group, sing a song, write a poem, or inspire thousands to be valued in the Kingdom of God? It true that some disciples occupy more prominent positions than others. Some remain hidden away even as they are given critically important assignments.

The little story of Hagar that is tucked away in Genesis is a tragic one of a person devalued, treated with contempt. Sarah offered her slave, Hagar, to her husband as a surrogate when she could not bear children. When the young woman conceived Sarah grew increasingly jealous and the conflict grew so intense that Hagar ran away, helpless and hopeless. In the desert the Angel of the Lord found her and comforted her. 

Hagar had a revelation about her worth in the sight of God that day. "She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered." (Genesis 16:13-14, NIV)

Few things can compare to the feeling that comes from knowing that someone actually ‘sees’ you, loves you for who you are, not for what you do.  God sees YOU, friend, today. He understands the whole of you – successes, failures, dreams, disappointment, the ‘whys’ about you that perhaps you do not even understand. Indeed we stand naked before His gaze. That need not make us tremble! He loves us.

There is a caution in this. We cannot play games with God; pretending, posing, or bluffing. He sees past all that and we are fools if we try.  But, we can lean into His grace, accept His love, and feel the unique and wonderful emotion of being ‘fully known.’

Love creates intimacy. When we are loved, we relax, we lower our guard, we share ourselves. John assures us of His love and points to the result that comes from being loved.  He says  “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (1 John 4:7-12, NIV)

If you are feeling useless or worthless, if you are striving to make a place for yourself because you think that will give you the value you desire, pause and turn a different direction. Let God love you.  Pray to know the revelation of Hagar, that He is the God who sees you, all of you, and loves you.  Knowing that love will change your life.

Here is a word from the Word. Let it fill your mind today. "See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don’t know God, so they don’t understand that we are his children. Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure." (1 John 3:1-3, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails)

(worship with this song about His love)

 

Higher than the mountains that I face

Stronger than the power of the grave

Constant in the trial and the change

One thing remains

One thing remains

 

Your love never fails

It never gives up

Never runs out on me

Your love

 

On and on and on and on it goes

It overwhelms and satisfies my soul

And I never ever have to be afraid

One thing remains

One thing remains

 

In death in life I'm confident and

Cover'd by the power of Your great love

My debt is paid there's nothing that

Can separate my heart from Your great love

 

Brian Johnson | Christa Black Gifford | Jeremy Riddle

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