Thursday 20 June, 2019

8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” 11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.” 14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 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. 20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

This passage always makes me feel sorry for Abraham.  He is torn between Sarah and Isaac and Hagar and Ishmael, both are his sons.  Sarah had some issues and this poor slave woman is thrown out of the house with her son and sent off to Beersheba.  She feels at the end of herself and close to death for both her and her son.  God hears her son’s cry.   God speaks to her and gives her son a prophetic word “I’m going to make of him a great nation”.  He speaks to both their futures in this desert.  Here she is rejected by “her family” but God hears her.  God is close to the broken hearted (Psalm 34 v 18).  He miraculously ‘provides’; she miraculously ‘sees’.  She and her son are saved from death and it goes on to say he is married.

Sometimes we have circumstances in our lives that are not kind, but God hears our cry.  He provides in strange ways that we may not quite understand but one day all will be revealed and we will see things from a different perspective.

Lord I thank you that you also hear our cry.  Lord no matter where we find ourselves, thank you that you have never left us and continue to provide and care for us.  Help us to trust you and believe that there is a bigger picture to all that we see at this moment.  Help us to be brave and stand on your word.

Written by Ps. Sue Botta