"When God Finds You" • Manna Quarantine Devotional #84
Dear Manna Family,
We are studying the lives of Bible characters who are not famous, and todays lesson is about a woman named Hagar.
Her story is told in Genesis 16 and 21.
Context: God promised Abraham that he would father a son, even through he was 75 years old, and his wife Sarah was 65.
After waiting 10 years, Sarah became impatient, and decided that God needed her help.
She advised Abraham to take her maidservant Hagar as a second wife or concubine, and have a child through her.
This practice of surrogate motherhood was not an uncommon practice at this time and Abraham follows Sarah’s advice.
When Hagar becomes pregnant, she begins to despise Sarah, who cannot become pregnant.
Sarah then blames Abraham for the problem that her suggestion created in the first place!
Abraham tells Sarah to do whatever she thinks is right, and Sarah begins to treat Hagar harshly.
Hagar then runs away into the wilderness.
Genesis 16:7 Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.
Hagar was alone in the desert running away from Sarah when God found her.
You may not know where you are, but God always knows where you are, and that’s comforting.
Vs 8 And He said, ‘Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from and where are you going?’
And she said, “ I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress, Sarai.”
Vs 9 Then the angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.
Vs 11 “…..you shall bear a son; and you shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has given heed to your affliction.”
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep by name.
The Good Shepherd knew that His lamb Hagar was not in the sheepfold where she belonged.
She was running away from God’s plan for her life.
God told her to go back and submit to Sarah’s authority, even though Sarah was harsh.
God had plans for her and her son.
The name Ishmael means “God hears”, and God promised to make him into a great nation.
Vs 13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees”; for she said, “Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?”
It seems as though she not only heard God speak, she actually saw Him, obviously in a veiled form.
Fourteen years later, Isaac was born.
Sarah then demanded that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away, and God told Abraham to listen to Sarah.
Hagar gets lost in the wilderness, and her water is all gone.
She and Ishmael are literally dying of thirst, when God calls her name for the second time.
Genesis 21: 17 God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
Vs 18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.”
God hears us whenever we call, no matter where we are, and He always has the perfect solution to our problems.
God opened her eyes to see a well of water which saved their lives.
The text says that God was with Ishmael, and he grew and became an archer.
Applications:
Abraham and Sarah made multiple poor decisions, yet God used them to bless the world.
Life often includes a wilderness, where everything seems hopeless and lost.
Even though we may be lost, God always knows where we are.
He finds us because He loves us, even if we are not rich and famous.
God has a good plan for your future, regardless of your past.
On two separate occasions, God found and spoke to an Egyptian slave woman by name.
God heard Ishmael, even in the middle of a wasteland, when he was near death, and He will always hear you when you call out to him.
Never forget, God is only a prayer away.
Remember, God designed us to ‘do life together!’
Love and prayers,
Brad
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