Genesis 21: 14 - 20 (NKJV)
“So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and [f]a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. 15 And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. 16 Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So, she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. 20 So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.”
God is a God of love and great compassion. He cares for each of us and treats us with compassion.
In these verses of scripture, we read the story of Abraham sending away Hagar and his son Ishmael, based on God’s instruction. We might wonder why will God do this. God had a definite plan and purpose in doing this. He was going to make a nation, a great nation out of Ishmael (verses 13 and 18). After Hagar and Ismael were sent away, they wandered in the wilderness and the water which they had taken along finished. They had nothing left to sustain them, causing Hagar to be distressed and to weep. I can only imagine that she must have felt utterly forsaken and rejected. She actually put Ishmael down and moved away from him fearing that he was going to die. Hope was lost for her.
Sometimes we can get to a stage like this in our lives when we are distressed, feel helpless, forsaken, rejected and alone. We feel we have been used, abused and discarded by others.
I want to say to us today, we are never alone. God is with us and He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is the God that see, that hears and that intervenes in the affairs of His children.
In the case of Hagar, the scriptures say, “And God heard the voice of the lad” and sent help to both Hagar and Ishmael. God made a way for them and provided for their sustenance. They went into the wilderness with a bottle of water but in a place of extreme dryness, God provided them with a well of water. God showed them divine care in that wilderness, and Ishmael grew up to become an archer and eventually marry. God never left them for one moment. He was there all the way.
That is the kind of God we serve. The God who cares for His children and does exceedingly abundantly above what we can think of or ask for. He is with you all the way even in your darkest moments when all seems lost.
So, daughter of the King regardless of your background cast your cares on Him, He cares for you. When you think it is over, it is not till God Himself says it is over. Hold on to Him all the way and He will hold on through this journey. You shall come out victorious in Jesus name.
Agape…