The Man Listened

“…The man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

Almost everyone I’ve talked to has felt invisible at some time or another. This usually goes hand in hand with not feeling heard.

After being in ministry for years and talking to many women, I’ve found that most women struggle with not feeling heard. This issue looks differently to each person. Back in school, when I was being bullied, I shut down. I stopped talking. I stopped raising my hand. I would sit towards the back and quietly do my work. Then, in college I flipped to the other extreme. I became angry and argumentative. It wasn’t until God showed me in His Word that He both sees me and loves me that I found balance.

As I study Ruth and Naomi, I wonder if they felt invisible. They were both widows. One was a foreigner and the other was marked by her disobedient journey to Moab. Only Ruth’s hard work brought any respect. When Ruth approached Boaz about redemption, he heard her. He saw her; really saw her.

In the same way, we are the foreigners. We are the ones marked by disobedience; the children of wrath. But when Jesus received us as co-heirs, His blood and resurrection made us children of light. So today, if you are struggling with feeling heard know this: the very same God Who saw Hagar, the Egyptian, Rahab, the Jericho prostitute, Ruth, the Moabitess, and Naomi, the disobedient, loves you. He knows every tear that you cry silently into your pillow at night. Wait on Him and He will speak to you.

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father
Your Son willingly went to the cross. Bearing our sin, He was utterly alone and forsaken, so that we could be in fellowship with You. Forgive me for acting out because of my pain. Heal my broken places. In Jesus Precious Name Amen