Some called her servant. Others called her slave. Looked down upon by those she served. Looked down upon by society in general. Unimportant. Nothing special. Considered a nobody by the day’s standards. Yet, her story is one we find recorded within the pages of God’s word. Her name was Hagar.
Hagar’s circumstances were bleak. So bleak, in fact, she decided to run away. Life had become too burdensome for her to bear. Have you ever felt that way, friend? I know I have. She was ready to give up. She was discouraged, defeated, and done with life as she knew it.
And then she met God.
All alone. By a spring. In the wilderness. (Genesis 16:7)
He saw her. He spoke to her. He listened to her. He gave her a glimpse into the future He had planned for her. And then, surprisingly to us, He sent her back -for a period of time- to the very place from where she had come. Back into her difficult situation. Back into her less than ideal life. Back into tumultuous times.
Nothing at home had changed, but Hagar? She had changed. She had encountered the living God. She now knew she was not alone. God had seen her; God had gifted her with newfound hope.
God sees us, just as He saw Hagar. He has a plan for our lives, just as He did Hagar’s. And though He may not always rescue us from our hard places, He is always with us, just as He was with Hagar.
So she named the Lord who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,” for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?” Genesis 16:13
Thank you…..I needed this.
Blessings, Bonnie! 💕💕