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Have you ever faced a challenge and there seemed no solution in sight? Where all you could see was the problem. Kind of like the experience of Hagar in Genesis 21. Who is Hagar? And what did she face?
Hagar was the maidservant to Sarah, Abraham’s wife. As recorded in Genesis 16, Sarah had no children and came up with a plan to build a family through Hagar. I pause here. God had told Abraham that Sarah would have a child. And Sarah knew this! Moving on. Sarah gave Hagar to her husband Abraham to be his wife. Hagar conceives a son, Ishmael. Now in Genesis 21, Sarah herself has now conceived a son, Isaac. Just as God had said! Sarah no longer wants Ishmael around, fearing that he will share in the inheritance with Isaac. She asked Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away.
Abraham was grieved by Sarah’s request. God knew this. For God sees and knows everything. God consoles Abraham, letting him know that He will make a nation out of Ishmael because he is Abraham’s son (Genesis 21:13). The next morning Abraham gave Hagar some food and water and sent Hagar and Ishmael away. Off she goes with her son, wandering in the desert of Beersheba (Genesis 21:14). What happened next?
Genesis 21:15-16: When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob (NIV).
I cannot even imagine how Hagar felt. Out there, in the desert. Deserts are known for being very dry. With extreme temperatures. And deserts experience little to no rain. Hagar faced a big challenge. Without water, Ishmael will likely die.
Genesis 21:17-18: God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation (NIV).”
In the above scriptures, the angel lets Hagar know that God has heard Ishmael’s cries. But there is no mention of water. The very thing that is the concern of Hagar’s heart.
Genesis 21:19: Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink (NIV).
Again, God sees and knows everything. God knew that Hagar had lost hope. God opens her eyes so that she could see the well that was nearby. God opens her eyes so that she could see how, even though her and Ishmael may be outcasts, God cares for them. And God opens Hagar’s eyes so could see what she could not see before. To hope in God is to live.
Romans 5:5 states: And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love (NLT).
As believers, we will face challenges. We will face hardships. But we must face them with the right posture. That is, we must know that God loves us dearly. Knowing that God loves us dearly will hold us steady when everything around is shaking. When all we see tries to tell us that all hope is lost, knowing that God loves us dearly keeps us at peace as we wait for God’s deliverance.
Except where indicated, scripture references are from the American Standard Version (ASV), Darby Translation (DARBY), or King James Version (KJV) – all public domain.
