He sees; He knows; He loves

July 2
Love by Roy Lesen

I want to love those around me well. I bet you do too. It doesn’t matter if I know someone or not, God’s heart for them is that they are loved well by His children.

I have reflected on my life in its various seasons. In every hard season, He was always been faithful to bring someone into my life to love me well. And I remember the significance of how my friends have served me.

Their help has ranged from:

praying for me
giving me wise counsel
buying me groceries
helping me move to a new apartment
paying for my rent when I was laid off
letting me sleep on their sofa so I wouldn’t be homeless

Now, I will be the first to admit that I struggle with a little thing called pride. I am ridiculously independent and self sufficient. I actually pride myself in it. But, the Lord has gently humbled me over the years. I have learned to ask for help, especially when I don’t want to — and to accept help when it is offered. I won’t lie and say that it is easy for me to do that now, but I pretty much just take a deep breath and let it happen.

There is a blessing in both receiving and in giving.

The Lord let some simple, yet deep truths settle in to my heart, it’s not about the size of what He asks of me, it’s about the surrender of my heart when I obey Him:

“By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35.

Some of the ways that my friends have loved me may seem large, and maybe they were, but it doesn’t always have to be some grand gesture. The prayer a friend offers will touch my heart just as much as someone paying my rent. The simple act of them loving me and asking if they could bless me makes feel valued by Father God and by my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Asking shows someone they are seen.

“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.'” Genesis 16:13.

I often feel as though no one sees me. I don’t get the invite. I don’t win the award. I don’t receive a Thank You for a job well done. I am not the most popular person. I don’t have the biggest platform. All of that can weigh heavy on me at times. And when I am hurting, that feeling is magnified.

When we see a need of someone and we ask if we can help them, we show them they are seen and known by us and a loving Father.

Asking shows someone God’s design for authentic community.

The early church had it right. They loved each other so well. They sacrificed for those who were in need. They gave, and when they had nothing left, they gave some more.

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.” Acts 4:32-35.

We could learn a lesson from the early church. I don’t often think about the things that I could go without so that someone might have. The very core of serving is that nothing belongs to us. We are only stewards of what belongs to God . . . our time, our gifts, our skills, our resources. We should hold them loosely in order for Him to bless and minister to the broken around us.

So whether you are the one asking or the one being asked, it is all an offering to the Lord.
It is in these times, when I know He sees me. And I know He knows me. And I know He loves me.

He sees you.
He knows you.
He loves you.