I have been ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot.—But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.—For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?—Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, …And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
We are well known, but we are treated as unknown.—O LORD, you have searched me and known me! … Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.— 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?” So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”).
I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,
for you have seen my troubles,
and you care about the anguish of my soul.
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
Ps.31:12NLT; II Cor.4:7ESV; II Cor.4:5; Jn.5:44ESV; Mt.6:1,4ESV; II Cor.6:9ESV; Ps.139:1,6ESV; Gen.16:13,14 NLT; Ps.31:7NLT; Ps.62:5NLT
Who sees what you’ve done today? Who knows the grief you carry? Who cares deeply about what worries you?
Who celebrates the unseen victories of your heart in its struggles against sin? Who applauds when you’ve figured out that little something everyone else already seems to know, or when you’ve created something which seems beautiful to your eyes alone…Who sees?
Our hearts crave to know we are not alone. This perhaps explains the explosion of social media. We scramble to be seen and known there, to be applauded and ‘liked’, but really? Is this the affirmation we crave? To know and be known is something for which we’re designed. This desire gets perverted into believing we must promote ourselves, polish our performance, say the right things, be pleasing in order to be applauded. But how much better it would be if we meditated long and deep on the unfailing love that surrounds the child of God. A love that sees all and loves without condition forever and always. He sees the unseen and promises to reward the faithful heart.
May all your being and doing today glow with the knowledge that you are known and loved by the Unseen One who has created you for His pleasure and glory.
–LS
Well said, Linda! Deep thoughts here that challenge the very core of our current culture, convicting indeed. Thank you for your courageous post.
Know YOU are not forgotten or ignored; thought of you on my morning walk up on the hill! Our Lord’s continued blessings on your writings; we may not always reply, but we are listening! Always a joy to read your Ponderings.
Love you, Paula
Hi Paula. Thanks for letting me know you’re there.
Who celebrates the unseen victories of your heart in its struggles against sin? Who applauds when you’ve figured out that little something everyone else already seems to know, or when you’ve created something which seems beautiful to your eyes alone…Who sees?
Well this was timely. I could add – Who understands when you quietly celebrate that someone else sees what you learned the hard way and yet were not able to teach?
It’s taken decades for me to accept that I had a different calling and that I would see, do and know things I couldn’t share. in the ways the world deems to be ‘sharing’. It’s become my comfort zone now so when I am judged, because I do not fit the mold, or more often, when I am ignored, I count it as an honor. Turns out I am just ordinary clay.
Thank you for this.
http://bagsallpacked.blogspot.com/2017/09/ordinary-clay.html
It is a great comfort that the God we long to serve well is all seeing and all knowing. He misses nothing and has chosen and fitted us for His purposes… And yes, I think I know what you mean, there are things He teaches/shows us that aren’t necessarily to share. But that’s the way personal relationships are, right? They’re personal!