Do you ever find yourself wondering whether God knows where you are and whether He is aware of your circumstances?
Of course He is!
During September 1998 I visited Israel during the Feast of Tabernacles. It was a special feast as Israel celebrated her first Year of Jubilee Festival after being declared a State in 1947. To travel to and in the country where our Lord lived, died and was resurrected was a dream come true for me and a very blessed and rewarding experience.
Before we left South Africa, I looked up the Hebrew interpretation of my name in the Strong's Concordance of the Bible, and found that it is pronounced, "Elisheva".
I was awed to be able to visit various places of importance to me such as the Garden of Gethsemane, the place of the Skull, the Sea of Galilee and many other biblical sites.
During our stay in Jerusalem, our group also visited the "shuk", or market, in the Old City. Of course, the shuk is wall to wall odor, people, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and many other products. You will find materials, jewellery and lots of other items for sale in the little shops at the side of the cobblestoned area. One literally had to shoulder you way through the crowd that thronged the shuk during this festive season. I was one of a group of twelve and as we slowly made our way towards the exit, we realised that one member of our group had been left behind. I volunteered to go back and search for her for the pure exhilaration of being in such close proximity to so many people from so many different nationalities, all being in one place at the same time.
My heart was racing, and I felt my cheeks burning with excitement. "Lord", I asked, "are You aware that I am here in the Holy City? Do You see me walking through the cobblestoned shuk? I am so excited to be here and it would have been so wonderful to know that You were somewhere here too; if I were walking towards physically meeting You somewhere in the City!"
My words were not even cold, when I heard someone calling loudly above the din around me: "Elisheva! Elisheva!"
I stopped and caught my breath! I could not believe my ears. Tears started slowly down my cheeks. I looked up and there on one of the tables ahead of me a man stood looking over the crowd, looking in my direction, calling...calling...
Even as I am relating this incident to you, I can still experience the joy that surged through me at that moment! Yes, it was only a man calling, but to me it was the Lord answering my longing to know that He was aware of my walking the streets that He had once walked.
He surely knows our deepest thoughts and needs...
"And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him and said to him, "Zaccheus,
make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." " Luke 19:5
"These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that
I may wake him up." " John 11:11
"Nathaniel said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before
Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." John 1:48
"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart
from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear
therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matt. 10: 28-31
Thank You, Lord, that You always know where we are, what our circumstances are and what we need.
(Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)
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