Just before Christmas, a beloved
neighbor couple became ill from corona virus. Their situation worsened and I found myself
praying morning, noon, and night. It seemed the only other help I could offer
was to leave food by their back door. I wanted to see them, but I couldn’t
so I had the strongest desire to stand by a window in my house and gaze at their
mailbox, the only thing in my view that belonged to them. I can’t explain why,
except I’d witnessed my neighbors open that mailbox so many times through the
years. Somehow, it made me feel close to them.
A verse from I Peter 3:12 came to mind, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.” I remembered that if I have such a desire to have my eyes on my neighbors, how much more did God desire that and actually did it.
A few days ago, I found this quote from John Newton (author of Amazing Grace), “If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us. His ear open to our prayer—His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable.”
If we have been saved by that “amazing
grace” Newton wrote about, we have the assurance that God’s eye is upon us. And
that no matter what we face He is with us.
While reading Matthew Henry’s
commentary on one of my daily Bible readings in Genesis 15, I came to this, “In
this chapter we perceive in Abram faith struggling against, and triumphing
over, unbelief. Wonder not, believers, if you meet with seasons of darkness and
distress. But it is not the will of God that you should be cast down; fear not;
for all that he was to Abram he will be to you.”
There are going to be times of
struggle, times when we wonder if God is with us. This is certainly one of
those times for many. But we have a Book full of examples of how God’s
faithfulness has been proved. “All that he was to Abram he will be to you.” We
can’t allow our feelings to overrule the truth In God’s word.
Sadly, one of my neighbors passed,
but we have the assurance he is in the arms of the Lord. The other having been
through two medical facilities is now back home and slowly returning to health,
although with a grieving heart. But she
knows Jesus, has a strong and steady faith, and realizes the eyes of the Lord
are upon her.
I know many of you have been or
are going through a similar time in your own lives. No matter what distress you
face, if you belong to Jesus, even now through the window of heaven, God is
gazing upon you. Take much comfort.
