July 21, 2022 – Our Daily Bread Devotional || ODB Today Message For Thursday

July 21, 2022 – Our Daily Bread Devotional || ODB Today

READ THURSDAY ODB DEVOTIONAL, OUR DAILY BREAD 21ST JULY 2022 WRITTEN BY KAREN HUANG (OUR DAILY BREAD MINISTRIES)

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TOPIC: God Sees You

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Genesis 16:7−16

KEY VERSE: You are the God who sees me. – Genesis 16:13

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Psalms 29−30; Acts 23:1−15

July 21, 2022 – Our Daily Bread Devotional  | INSIGHT

How encouraging it is to know that those who are marginalized by what others do to them or by what they do to themselves don’t escape the attention of God. Genesis 16 emphasizes this with two names—the name of a place, Beer Lahai Roi (“the well of the Living One who sees me,” v. 14) and the name of a son, Ishmael (“God will hear,” v. 11).

The words “the Lord has heard of your misery” (v. 11) show the keen nature of divine hearing. The root word of “has heard” is the oft-used Hebrew word shama‘, which means “to hear, listen, or obey.” Indeed, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry” (Psalm 34:15).

READ: July 20, 2022 – Our Daily Bread Devotional || What a Find!

July 21, 2022 – Our Daily Bread Devotional  | MESSAGE

Early mornings can be painful for my friend Alma, a single mom of two. She says, “When everything is quiet, worries surface. As I do household chores, I think about our financial concerns and the kids’ health and studies.”

When her husband abandoned her, Alma bore the responsibility of raising her children on her own. “It’s difficult,” she says, “but I know God sees me and my family. He gives me the strength to work two jobs, provides for our needs, and lets my kids experience His guidance each day.”

Hagar, an Egyptian maidservant, understood what it meant to be seen by God. After she got pregnant by Abram, she began to despise Sarai (Genesis 16:4), who in turn mistreated her, causing Hagar to flee to the desert. Hagar found herself alone, facing a future that seemed bleak and hopeless for her and her unborn child.

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But it was in the desert that “the angel of the Lord” (v. 7) met her and said, “The Lord has heard of your misery” (v. 11). The angel of God gave Hagar guidance on what to do, and He assured her of what the future would hold. From her we learn one of the names of God—El Roi, “the God who sees me” (v. 13).

Like Hagar, you may be on a difficult journey—feeling lost and alone. But remember that even in the wasteland, God sees you. Reach out to Him and trust Him to guide you through.

July 21, 2022 – Our Daily Bread Devotional | ODB For Thursday

REFLECT: How could knowing God as El Roi—the God who sees—change your view of your current circumstances? How can you respond to Him?

PRAY: Dear God, thank You that I’ll never have to journey through life alone. I know that You see me and will always be with me.

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Our Daily Bread Devotional 21st July 2022 || ODB Today Message . Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODB) is a Christian organization founded by Dr. Martin De Haan in 1938. It is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with over 600 employees. It produces several devotional publications, including Our Daily Bread. our daily bread booklet.