I SEE YOU, YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Do you ever feel as if God hasn't noticed you? Your cares? Your struggles? Your efforts?

I have at times. As if we have a "forget who God is and what HE has done" button that is pushed with each struggle, tear, stress, worry, burden, task, or toil, or even with each of our accomplishments.

Yet, God is there. Always. Waiting. Ready and able to do, to act on our behalf...

HE promises to never leave us or forsake us. HE is continuously watching over us.

HE who watches over us never slumbers or sleeps. (See; Psalm 121:3-4)

Do you believe this?

God is love. His character is flawless. The Bible gives countless accounts of people who encountered God's tender and watchful care.

One of my favorite stories of this caring love encounter is the story of Nathaniel. Before Jesus called him to become His disciple, HE already knew him and had seen him. Whew!

Perhaps Nathaniel- before encountering Jesus -had moments where he felt as if he had gone unnoticed... Until his profound encounter with Christ's love.

We find his story in John 1:47-48.

"Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, See! Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor falsehood nor duplicity!

Nathanael said to Jesus, How do You know me? [How is it that You know these things about me?] Jesus answered him, Before [ever] Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you.

Nathanael answered, Teacher, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

(John 1:47-49 AMPC)

We are all like Nathaniel. Sitting under our 'fig tree' waiting, wandering, and at times even wallowing in our sentiments. GOD KNOWS US AND SEES US. The Creator of all things cares for us so deeply and affectionately.

It's mind-blowing how a great and awesome God is truly mindful of each detail of our lives.

His Word says in Luke 12:6-7; that even our individual strands of hair are all numbered.

Wow! What? Even the ones that break off when we brush our hair!

What an awestruck wonder!

" Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And [yet] not one of them is forgotten or uncared for in the presence of God. But [even] the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be struck with fear or seized with alarm; you are of greater worth than many [flocks] of sparrows."

(Luke 12:6-7 AMPC)

YOU ARE OF GREAT WORTH AND GOD IS MINDFUL OF YOU THIS VERY MOMENT

"What is mankind that You are mindful of them,

human beings that You care for them?" (Psalm 8:4 NIV)

HE KNOWS OUR NAME! His thoughts of us are more numerous than the sum of all the grains of sand. He comforts us in our distress and in our pain. He's with us in the fire and through difficult times. He hears our cry and comes to our rescue.

THINK ABOUT THAT.

LET IT SINK IN.

The Lord sees your situation. The worry. The financial distress.

The physical pain. He sees the torment. The chaos. Your needs. Your long-awaited desires.

JESUS is your Savior. Your Peace. Your Provider. Your Healer. Your Deliverer. Your Sustainer.

Consider the following scriptures and allow God's Word to embrace you with His love;

“Can a woman forget her nursing child,

And not have compassion on the son of her womb?

Surely they may forget,

Yet I will not forget you.

See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;

Your walls are continually before Me." (Isaiah 49:15-16 NKJV)

Say out loud; I AM NOT FORGOTTEN!

"Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. Speak tenderly to the heart of Jerusalem,

and cry to her that her time of service and her warfare are ended." (Isaiah 40:1-2a AMPC)

"Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:

Who created all these?

He who brings out the starry host one by one

and calls forth each of them by name.

Because of His great power and mighty strength,

not one of them is missing." (Isaiah 40:26 NIV)

"O Jacob, O Israel, how can you say that the Lord doesn’t see your troubles and isn’t being fair?

Don’t you yet understand? Don’t you know by now that the everlasting God, the Creator of the farthest parts of the earth, never grows faint or weary? No one can fathom the depths of his understanding." (Isaiah 40:27-28 TLB)

YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN!

"But now the Lord who created you, O Israel, says: Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel. I gave Egypt and Ethiopia and Seba to Cyrus in exchange for your freedom, as your ransom. Others died that you might live; I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me and honored, and I love you." (Isaiah 43:1-4TLB)

YOU ARE PRECIOUS TO GOD, HONORED AND LOVED

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. (1 Peter 5:7 AMPC)

"O Lord, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

You see me when I travel

and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, Lord.

You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!" (Psalm 139:1-6 NLT)

"For You formed my innermost parts; You knit me [together] in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was being formed in secret, And intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors] in the depths of the earth. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were appointed for me, When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape]. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I could count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You." (Psalm 139:13-18 AMP)

"I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;

And I am saved from my enemies.

In my distress [when I seemed surrounded] I called upon the Lord

And cried to my God for help;

He heard my voice from His temple,

And my cry for help came before Him, into His very ears." (Psalm 18:3,6 AMP)

"Since ancient times no one has heard,

no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides You,

who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him." (Isaiah 64:4 NIV)

Something to think about;

Each time Jesus sees HIS nail-scarred hands, HE thinks of you with such profound and eternal love.

You have not gone unnoticed. You are not alone. God is working behind the scenes. On your behalf.

He's heard your cry. And He will come to deliver you.

ABBA FATHER, thank You for Your profound and watchful care and love. For knowing me and calling me by name. Forgive me for the moments that I have forgotten that You are there. Always with me and always caring for me deeply. Help me remember the truth of Your Word. That You are for me and not against me. That You are mindful of me and have good plans for my life. Thank You for seeing me and comforting me through the ups and downs. Through the pain and the victories- I will trust You. You have never failed. and You never will! You are faithful. Your goodness surrounds me. You are my portion. I love You, Lord.

Your friend in Christ,

Ruthy Villanueva