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Authors: Gilbert Morris
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“When Cain slew his brother, did he not realize that God saw him? Did David think the Lord God of Israel was asleep when the act of adultery was committed with Bathsheba? Why did Peter not cry out ‘thou God seest me’ when he denied the Lord Jesus Christ?”
The minister paused from time to time, solemnly quoting the text: “Thou God seest me.” As the sermon went on, Belle began to dread that quote, for she had begun to feel very uncomfortable. For three months she had been in thehome of Captain Whitfield Winslow, and had passed only five messages to her unseen contact, none that seemed very important. Many times she had despaired, asking herself, What am I doing here? and more than once determined to return home.
But always she had stayed, justifying herself by saying that she was a soldier and must stand whatever hardship came, even as her people in Richmond and the soldiers in the field. But she had lost the keen pangs of guilt, for though she knew it was a breach of confidence and a violation of hospitality to carry on such activities while a guest in Captain Winslow’s home, still—it seemed that what little she did had no serious consequence.
Now as the words “thou God seest me” reverberated against her mind, the guilt rose like a specter, and she realized the enormity of her deeds. She tried to shut out the words, but they seeped into her spirit.
When the pastor began his final point, Belle squirmed, knowing she must endure it, but wishing she could escape.
“So Hagar discovered there was a God, that He was a God who cared. But in chapter twenty-one of Genesis, she learned even more about this God who watches us. Isaac was born, and Sarah once again drove the girl out, this time with her son who was only a youngster. We read the sad story beginning in verse fourteen: ‘And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him and lifted up her voice, and wept.’ ”
He looked over the congregation and asked pointedly, “Are there any here in Hagar’s condition? Have you been put in a desert of some sort and left to die of thirst?” He raised hisvoice and for the first time cried, “God knows your thirst! He knows your need! And if you will look to Him and to His power, you will not die!”
He lifted his Bible high. “In verse nineteen we read: ‘And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.’ “ Then he lowered his voice, and swept the congregation with his eyes, now damp with tears, asking, “Where did that well of water come from? It was there all the time—but Hagar couldn’t see it! God had to open her eyes to the provision she needed so desperately. And that is my message—to all of us. God sees us, and there is a fountain He has prepared for our thirst. We may not have seen it, but it is there. Jesus Christ is that fountain, and though men may pass by, ignoring Him in their lust for other things, still, we long for the day when God will open their eyes—and we may all see that blessed spring that flows from His only begotten Son!”
As he finished, Belle sat transfixed, then somehow got to her feet and blindly turned to go.
“Well, this must be our friend from Richmond!”
Startled, Belle looked up into the kind eyes of Abraham Lincoln. He extended his hand, and when she did the same, he enveloped it, holding it gently, saying, “My friend Stanton has told me about you, Mrs. Wickham,” he said softly. “I grieve over your loss.”
“Thank you, Mr. President!” Belle gasped. The guilt
The minister paused from time to time, solemnly quoting the text: “Thou God seest me.” As the sermon went on, Belle began to dread that quote, for she had begun to feel very uncomfortable. For three months she had been in thehome of Captain Whitfield Winslow, and had passed only five messages to her unseen contact, none that seemed very important. Many times she had despaired, asking herself, What am I doing here? and more than once determined to return home.
But always she had stayed, justifying herself by saying that she was a soldier and must stand whatever hardship came, even as her people in Richmond and the soldiers in the field. But she had lost the keen pangs of guilt, for though she knew it was a breach of confidence and a violation of hospitality to carry on such activities while a guest in Captain Winslow’s home, still—it seemed that what little she did had no serious consequence.
Now as the words “thou God seest me” reverberated against her mind, the guilt rose like a specter, and she realized the enormity of her deeds. She tried to shut out the words, but they seeped into her spirit.
When the pastor began his final point, Belle squirmed, knowing she must endure it, but wishing she could escape.
“So Hagar discovered there was a God, that He was a God who cared. But in chapter twenty-one of Genesis, she learned even more about this God who watches us. Isaac was born, and Sarah once again drove the girl out, this time with her son who was only a youngster. We read the sad story beginning in verse fourteen: ‘And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him and lifted up her voice, and wept.’ ”
He looked over the congregation and asked pointedly, “Are there any here in Hagar’s condition? Have you been put in a desert of some sort and left to die of thirst?” He raised hisvoice and for the first time cried, “God knows your thirst! He knows your need! And if you will look to Him and to His power, you will not die!”
He lifted his Bible high. “In verse nineteen we read: ‘And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.’ “ Then he lowered his voice, and swept the congregation with his eyes, now damp with tears, asking, “Where did that well of water come from? It was there all the time—but Hagar couldn’t see it! God had to open her eyes to the provision she needed so desperately. And that is my message—to all of us. God sees us, and there is a fountain He has prepared for our thirst. We may not have seen it, but it is there. Jesus Christ is that fountain, and though men may pass by, ignoring Him in their lust for other things, still, we long for the day when God will open their eyes—and we may all see that blessed spring that flows from His only begotten Son!”
As he finished, Belle sat transfixed, then somehow got to her feet and blindly turned to go.
“Well, this must be our friend from Richmond!”
Startled, Belle looked up into the kind eyes of Abraham Lincoln. He extended his hand, and when she did the same, he enveloped it, holding it gently, saying, “My friend Stanton has told me about you, Mrs. Wickham,” he said softly. “I grieve over your loss.”
“Thank you, Mr. President!” Belle gasped. The guilt
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