He Knows

God saw the people of Israel -- and God knew.  Exodus 2:25(ESV)

This may be the most encouraging thing I have ever read in Scripture!  "God knew."  As many times as I've read through the Bible, and all of the times I've studied the Exodus... How did I miss this wonderful, simple statement?

Thoughts on this verse have been running through my head for more than a month now, and I actually started composing this post several weeks ago...  But I guess the Lord knew that I was going to need to meditate on this passage and this thought a bit longer.   As the Scripture says, "God knew."

God knew the challenges we were going to be facing.
God knew that our lives were suddenly going to feel very upside down.
God knew that my husband would be misjudged and treated unfairly.
God knew that my daughter would be frustrated and lonely.
God knew that I would not be going to Brazil this week as I had hoped.
God knew what was going to happen in our lives long before we did.
And He knows what is going to happen next.

But He's not telling.

Not yet.

I'm trying to be okay with that... Trying to be sure that's the attitude I'm presenting to others - that  God's got it all under control.  But really I'm angry - with the people involved, with the situation itself, with what this is doing to my family, and frankly, even with God.  I prayed. This was not the answer I was believing for or for which I was praying.  But it is the answer I got.

And I still believe.  Beneath the emotions and the frustrations and the questions, I have no misgivings about God and His ways.  His ways are not my ways.  But His ways are always right. 

During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help.  Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.  And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.  God saw the people of Israel--and God knew.

When His people groaned and cried out in Egypt, God heard, He remembered, He saw, and He knew.

That's really all that matters in times like these.  The children of Israel were in a much more desperate situation than mine.  Many of you, my friends, are facing much more difficult trials than those facing me.  But whatever the situation you find yourself up against, there is good news for us in God's word today:

God hears.
God remembers.
God sees.
God knows!

I pray that simple fact will encourage you today.  I know it is encouraging me.

...Just a thought...