He Hears Me

October 16

Jeremiah 24-26

Psalm 116:1-11

Proverbs 25:6-7

Titus 3

He Hears Me

“I love Yahweh, because He hears my voice and my supplications.  Because He has inclined His ear to me, so I shall call upon Him in all my days.”  Psalm 116:1-2 LSB

As I write this devotional, tears are streaming down my face.  I have just gotten word that one of my closest friends who has been battling cancer for some time is very close to being in the arms of Jesus.  She has fought the good fight and she is ready to enter her reward in Heaven with her Savior.  I love her dearly and do not want her to suffer any more.  She has had to endure a lot of pain and I’m glad that will soon come to an end.  But selfishly, I’m not ready to lose her.  I thought we had more time.  We have been friends for almost 30 years and I will miss her.  She is my crafting buddy.  She was an art teacher at the Christian school where my girls attended and at Western Kentucky University.  She is my go-to person when I need a craft project for Hadley.  Emily took every class Gloria taught at WKU.  She taught her to sew and is still the person she calls when she needs help on a project.  Her sweet spirit and encouraging heart will be missed by so many, but she is my dear friend.  We have laughed and cried together.  We’ve prayed together and studied God’s Word together.  She is one of my “people.”  Today’s passage reminds me that in my moments of sadness and pain, my precious Savior hears my cries.  He sees my tears and He listens when I call.  He has inclined His ear to me and He understands my pain and sadness.  He loves me and He is available to me. 

One of the names of God found in the Bible is El Roi, which means “the God who sees me.”  The first time this name is given in Scripture is in Genesis 16.  God encountered Hagar, the servant of Abraham and Sarah, in the wilderness and promised her a future for her and her son Ishmael.  The name signifies more than just that God saw Hagar physically, it means that He saw her pain and heartache.  He saw her tears and her fear.  He understood her anguish and He was there to comfort and support her.  Our God is near.  He isn’t far away and disconnected.  He is intimately involved in our lives and He is there to give us comfort and peace.  I can feel His presence and He gives me a comfort that is beyond words.  Recently, I had an exchange with someone on Facebook.  I rarely comment because it is usually pointless but I couldn’t resist in this instance.  God had directly answered the prayers of many people in finding a friend who was lost, but someone responded that it was not God but emergency personnel who rescued the person.  I commented that their family and friends believed it was God that led the rescuers to the person.  I am firmly convinced that God heard our pleas and answered our prayers.  I know God answers prayers because I have personally experienced His intervention.  I will call upon Him all of my days, because I believe He hears me and He answers when I call.