THE SEED
“Your Father, who is unseen … sees what is done in secret.” Matthew 6:6
Jesus instructs us not to make a spectacle of praying to our Father, “who is unseen.” And he adds, “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” We don’t see our Father, but our Father sees us. If you were given the choice between seeing God or having God see you, which would you choose? Hagar, pregnant with Ishmael and fleeing from Sarai’s mistreatment, encounters God in the wilderness. “She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, have now seen the One who sees me.’” Hagar did not see God himself, but his angel, who represented God. But God, through his angel, saw Hagar and spoke with her. God may hide his face, but he does not close his mouth. God in his grace sees us in our wilderness. God in his glory sees us in our dishonor. God in his strength sees us in our weakness. And the Word, who encourages us to pray, “became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). With that much sight we can rest content until we “see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). Lent is a good time to remember that we are seen by our unseen Father. Is this a comfort to you?
BIBLE READING: GENESIS 16:1-13
PRAYER: Father, in this Lenten season teach us to pray with confidence, knowing that you see us as we are and hear us as we call. In Christ our hope, Amen.
ENI TI A KO RI, O RI GBOGBO NKAN
IRUGBIN NAA
“Baba rẹ, ẹni ti a ko ri… o ri ohun ti a nṣe ni ikọkọ.” Matiu 6:6
Jésù ko fún wa ní ìtoni pé ká má ṣe máa gbàdúrà sí Baba wa “ẹni tí a kò rí.” Ó sì fi kún un pé: “Nígbà náà Baba rẹ tí ó rí ohun tí a ń ṣe ní ìkọ̀kọ̀, yóò san án fún ọ ni gbangba.” A ko ri Baba wa, ṣugbọn Baba wa ri wa. Ti o ba ni àǹfààní lati ki o Yan ninu ko ri Ọlorun tabi ki Ọlorun ri o, ewo ni Iwo yio mu?Hágárì, tó lóyún Íṣímáelì, tó sì ń sá fún ìfìyàjẹni Sáráì, pàdé Ọlorun nínú aginjù. Ó fun Oluwa ni oruko yi, ti o ba soro ni aginju, Ìwọ ni Ọlorun tí ó rí mi,’ nítorí ó wí pé, nísinsìnyí, o ti rí ẹni tí ó rí mi.” Hágárì kò rí Ọlorun fúnra rẹ̀, bí kò ṣe áńgelì rẹ̀ tí ó ṣojú fún. Ṣugbọn Ọlọrun tipasẹ̀ angẹli rẹ̀ rí Hagari ó sì bá a sọ̀rọ̀. Ọlọrun lè pa ojú rẹ̀ mo, ṣugbọn kò pa ẹnu rẹ̀ mo. Olorun ninu ore-ofe re wo wa li aginju wa. Ọlorun nínú ògo rẹ̀ rí wa nínú àbùkù wa. Olorun ninu agbara re ri wa ninu ailera wa. Àti pé Ọ̀rọ̀ náà, tí ó gba wa níyànjú láti gbàdúrà, “di ẹran ara, ó sì n gbé láàárín wa. Àwa ti rí ògo rẹ̀, ògo Ọmọ bíbí kan ṣoṣo, ẹni tí ó ti ọ̀dọ̀ Baba wá, ó kún fún oore-ọ̀fe àti òtíto” (Jòhánù 1:14). Pẹ̀lú ìríran púpọ̀ naa a lè sinmi ní ìtelorùn títí a ó fi “rí i bí ó ti rí” (1 Johannu 3:2). Awe jẹ akoko ti o dara lati ranti pe Baba wa ti a ko rii ni a rii. Ṣe eyi jẹ itunu fun ọ?
BIBELI KIKA: JENESÍSÌ 16:1-13
ADURA: Baba, ni akoko awe yi,ko wa lati gbadura pẹlu igboya, mọ pe o ri wa bi a ti wa ati ki o gbọ wa bi a ti npè. Ninu Kristi ireti wa Amin.