“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. 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. 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.”
– Genesis 21:14-18
“The angel of the LORD also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery.”
– Genesis 16:11
The Story of Hagar
Rejected. Misunderstood. Broken. Forgotten. These are all emotions that Hagar felt as she was thrown out of the only home she and her son, Ishmael, had ever known. All she had was a little food and water to share between them.
As they wandered the desert and ran out of their provisions, she became hopeless. It was clear to Hagar they wouldn’t survive, so she placed her son under a bush and walked away. As Ishmael began to cry, so did Hagar. It seemed like she was about to lose everything that mattered, but God heard their cries.
In the middle of her suffering, she forgot the promise of God in the naming of her son. Ishamel means “God will hear,” and He certainly did. God told Hagar to take Ishmael by the hand, and He led them to water.
Hagar thought she was at her end, but God heard and provided. His promise didn’t immediately remove their circumstances, but He opened her eyes to what she needed.
God not only provided in the desperation of the desert, but He walked with Ishamel the rest of his life. When we need God the most, He speaks to us and shows He’s with us. What’s true of God is that He sees us at our strongest and weakest moments and is always there.
Reflect
In her most desperate situation, God saw Hagar. In the same way, God sees you. When have you felt desperate, unseen, outcasted, or unloved? How did God meet you there?
Pray
Lord, Thank you for seeing me when I feel so unseen and broken. Thank you for providing in such supernatural ways for our lives that we often don’t even notice. Thank you for loving us in the midst of our mess and walking with us to get out of it. You are El-Roi, the God who sees, and our hearts are humbled to know you seek us out everyday. Lord, we love you. Thank you for reminding us that in the same way you see the outcast, its our job to do the same. Amen