This is taken from our ecumenical Bible study this week. The past couple of months about two dozen of us have met each Wednesday morning via Zoom.

We looked together at "God's Love" written by Kia Stephens. Amazing how we are told repeatedly about how much God loves us but we forget. We live in a rough and tumble society that doesn't feel much like 'love' at times.

Stephens took her thoughts from Genesis chapter 16. Ahram and his wife Sarai had been promised a son by God. Both of them were up in years and not much was happening. They hit upon a plan:  give Abram Sarai's maid servant, Hagar, to bear them the promised child. 

All went pretty well until she was actually pregnant. Sarai was jealous of that new status!  So Sarai beat her and sent her away.

But God sent an angel to be with Hagar. God's love is never lost to Hagar; nor the rest of us.

Here is where our study began:

"1.  We are noticed by God.  He went and found Hagar for her benefit.  He finds us, too.  He may be finding us through a podcast, a YouTube video, the radio, a devotional, a Bible study or His word.  God is relentless in His pursuit of us.
 
2.  We’re heard by God.  He’s listening to us.  Our every cry, our concerns, our gripes, our prayers.
 
3.  We’re blessed by God.  Sometimes God will swoop down and save the day and rescue us, but sometimes He will choose to sustain us right where we are, in the pain, in brokenness, in the mess.  Sometimes God will sustain us right there.
 
4.  We are restored by God. Those painful circumstances that God allows in our lives, He can turn them around for our good.
 
5.  We are seen by God.  No matter where we find ourselves in life, we can be certain that the God who created the universe sees us.  He loves us and is intimately concerned about every single detail of our life.  Though suffering exists, God’s love is evident in the midst of it."

In case, you forgot: God love YOU and ME today! His imperfect, stumbling, mumbling children!!

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