A REALLY Cool Progression of Verbs

This morning I was re-visiting part of my Bible-reading for yesterday and these words from Exodus 3:7-10 (in the well-known story of Moses and the burning bush) jumped out at me. "The LORD says: I have seen the misery. . . I have heard them crying. . .I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them . . . . So now, go, I am sending you."

Of course, if you know me, you know I am looking at this in context of orphan care ministry and I am teary-eyed. It's like God is saying to me, "I see each one of those 145+ million orphans. I see those who cannot walk, caged in their cribs within stark orphanage walls, hidden away from the eyes and consciences of the societies around them. I see filthy,ragged children huddled for warmth around water pipes under city streets. I see the less-than-perfect ones abandoned to die in the garbage heaps. I see the confused, calloused "cases" who have been bounced from one foster placement to another. I truly see their misery."

I believe God is saying something like this to me: I hear their crying. Their loud wails of loneliness, grief and abandonment. Their insistent, angry, frightened, pain-filled sobs against their abusers. Their weakening, barely-audible whimpers from persistent hunger. Even their silent, voiceless cries when they've totally given up all hope of ever having anyone respond to their needs. Maybe no other ear on your entire planet is attuned, but I--from my heavenly throne where I am eternally and rightfully surrounded by glory and adoration and beauty and abundance and perfection-- I truly hear their cries.

I can almost hear God saying, "I am concerned about their suffering. It bothers me deeply. It totally breaks my heart. I earnestly, infinitely care. I am not isolated or insulated from what is going on. In fact, I care so much that I am going to come down and rescue them through YOU."

So God is calling his people. Who's in?