"And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink."
Genesis 21:15-19
This is kind of a sad side-story about a woman and her son that were cast out and left to fend for themselves. Hagar used up the resources that she had, and had no idea where to find more, and gave up hope. ... Then God intervened and saved her and her son by opening her eyes.
I think that a lot of us get to a similar point in our lives... we're out of resources, and we can't see how to continue. I don't think that Hagar was stupid to cry in that situation, and I don't think that we are either. It's hard, and it's understandable to feel lost and to be sad in difficult situations.
These verses offer some hope though. ... Just as God opened Hagar's eyes and showed her that there was hope, he can open ours as well. The hope that he offered Hagar was not a hope that God created on the spot, but a hope that existed and was there, but she just hadn't seen it. So it is with us. We get so tied up in our own despair that we often don't see the hope that is there for us. God can remind us. Today, let's lift up our voices to the Lord, whether to cry or to thank or to ask or to beg... let's focus on that communication and tell the Lord how we feel and what we need. And let's be willing to have our eyes opened to possibilities and solutions that we hadn't considered. Let's make room for hope.
And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink."
Genesis 21:15-19
This is kind of a sad side-story about a woman and her son that were cast out and left to fend for themselves. Hagar used up the resources that she had, and had no idea where to find more, and gave up hope. ... Then God intervened and saved her and her son by opening her eyes.
I think that a lot of us get to a similar point in our lives... we're out of resources, and we can't see how to continue. I don't think that Hagar was stupid to cry in that situation, and I don't think that we are either. It's hard, and it's understandable to feel lost and to be sad in difficult situations.
These verses offer some hope though. ... Just as God opened Hagar's eyes and showed her that there was hope, he can open ours as well. The hope that he offered Hagar was not a hope that God created on the spot, but a hope that existed and was there, but she just hadn't seen it. So it is with us. We get so tied up in our own despair that we often don't see the hope that is there for us. God can remind us. Today, let's lift up our voices to the Lord, whether to cry or to thank or to ask or to beg... let's focus on that communication and tell the Lord how we feel and what we need. And let's be willing to have our eyes opened to possibilities and solutions that we hadn't considered. Let's make room for hope.
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