8-15-13 “I Have Never Seen the Godly Abandoned”
Romans 14:8
If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
I’m in the middle of reading a book right that was written over a hundred years ago by a former slave. It’s called Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet A. Jacobs. I absolutely love this book because this author confirms everything I believe to be true about God is true. This Harriet Jacobs was a Believer and so was the grandmother that raised her. True Believers by their words and by their deeds. And God took care of them. Even slavery in the Deep South is not bigger than God!
She details the degradation of slavery, but she herself was never worked hard or tortured as in some of the cases of her counterparts she describes in her book. In fact, she didn’t even know she was a slave until her parents died when she was 6. She was, however, sent to a family where she was verbally abused and sexually harassed by her master - yet never violated. My opinion: Hand of God on her life.
Likewise, her grandmother found favor with everyone. She lived in her own house supporting herself by her baking and was able to care for her own family members, save her own money to buy their freedom, and even hide her granddaughter, Harriet, in a small attic crawlspace for seven years. It’s an amazing story. These ladies knew it was better to hide in a cramped crawl space for nearly a decade then to belong to a power-crazed slave owner who views them as property and not people. Fascinating book.
But the truly fascinating part is all the “providences” she credits to God whether she is separated from her children working hard for a cruel master, hiding in a dark constrained place, or finally free in the North receiving help from strangers. She is continually thanking God and giving him credit for every single thing, and she lives with hope every single day. Only God can do that to a person’s heart - especially a person in her situation.
I believe that God looks out for those who trust in him no matter who they are or where they are. If I believe it’s true for me, as God has never failed to provide for me every single day, then he must do it for EVERYONE who trusts in him, even a fugitive slave in the 1830’s.
I believe Psalm 37:25 with all my whole heart...
Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
or their children begging for bread.
And Harriet Jacob’s autobiography is proving my case. Her circumstances were far from perfect, quite uncomfortable in fact, yet she thanked God and trusted him continually. By her own words whether she lived or died, she knew she did not belong to a cruel white doctor and his raving jealous wife. She belongs to God, and HE did not neglect her at all.
I believe whether I live or die, whether my life is comfortable or not isn’t what’s important. I belong to God and nobody else, and he sees fit to take care of me!
Dear God,
Thank you for continuing to confirm that everything I believe about you is true. You even took care of seemingly hopeless situations for a poor black woman, and you take care of me too because we believe in your Son. We trust you, we put all of our hope in you, and we love you. Help me to continuously and constantly remember that I belong to YOU! I love you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Romans 14:8
If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
I’m in the middle of reading a book right that was written over a hundred years ago by a former slave. It’s called Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet A. Jacobs. I absolutely love this book because this author confirms everything I believe to be true about God is true. This Harriet Jacobs was a Believer and so was the grandmother that raised her. True Believers by their words and by their deeds. And God took care of them. Even slavery in the Deep South is not bigger than God!
She details the degradation of slavery, but she herself was never worked hard or tortured as in some of the cases of her counterparts she describes in her book. In fact, she didn’t even know she was a slave until her parents died when she was 6. She was, however, sent to a family where she was verbally abused and sexually harassed by her master - yet never violated. My opinion: Hand of God on her life.
Likewise, her grandmother found favor with everyone. She lived in her own house supporting herself by her baking and was able to care for her own family members, save her own money to buy their freedom, and even hide her granddaughter, Harriet, in a small attic crawlspace for seven years. It’s an amazing story. These ladies knew it was better to hide in a cramped crawl space for nearly a decade then to belong to a power-crazed slave owner who views them as property and not people. Fascinating book.
But the truly fascinating part is all the “providences” she credits to God whether she is separated from her children working hard for a cruel master, hiding in a dark constrained place, or finally free in the North receiving help from strangers. She is continually thanking God and giving him credit for every single thing, and she lives with hope every single day. Only God can do that to a person’s heart - especially a person in her situation.
I believe that God looks out for those who trust in him no matter who they are or where they are. If I believe it’s true for me, as God has never failed to provide for me every single day, then he must do it for EVERYONE who trusts in him, even a fugitive slave in the 1830’s.
I believe Psalm 37:25 with all my whole heart...
Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
or their children begging for bread.
And Harriet Jacob’s autobiography is proving my case. Her circumstances were far from perfect, quite uncomfortable in fact, yet she thanked God and trusted him continually. By her own words whether she lived or died, she knew she did not belong to a cruel white doctor and his raving jealous wife. She belongs to God, and HE did not neglect her at all.
I believe whether I live or die, whether my life is comfortable or not isn’t what’s important. I belong to God and nobody else, and he sees fit to take care of me!
Dear God,
Thank you for continuing to confirm that everything I believe about you is true. You even took care of seemingly hopeless situations for a poor black woman, and you take care of me too because we believe in your Son. We trust you, we put all of our hope in you, and we love you. Help me to continuously and constantly remember that I belong to YOU! I love you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
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