Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

God opened her eyes

Genesis 21v19  “Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.”

It is strange how we do not see what is in front of our noses!

Hagar had been the maid for Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Hagar and her son Ishmael were turfed out because of friction between her and Sarah. She thought she and her son were going to die in the desert. They desperately needed water. Interestingly, the appearance of a well for her was not about God making a well, but simply him opening her eyes to it.

In 2 Corinthians 4v4, Paul writes, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” It is not that Christ has not come, it is not that Christ has not died for our sins, it is not that Christ has not been raised from the dead or sent the Holy Spirit. It is simply that minds are blinded to it.

God has chosen a two-pronged approach to this – there is us announcing the truth, and there is the Holy Spirit illuminating hearts and minds. As Paul writes in the same passage “[We] set forth the truth plainly,” and, “God… made his light shine in our hearts.”

Next week is the Admaston Fun Week – a week when we put on different events for people in our community for them to enjoy. But in it too we will be sharing elements of the truth of the gospel with people.

Let’s pray together that during next week God would “make his light shine in people’s hearts.”

With love and blessing,

Roland