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.” 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.
Psalm 121: Verses 1-4 (NIV)
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
Hager had been a servant of Abraham’s wife, Sarah. She’d become Abraham’s mistress at Sarah’s suggestion as a means of producing an heir for Abraham. That wasn’t what God intended but they went ahead anyway, and Abraham’s son, Ishmael was born. But the promises God had given to Abraham were to be fulfilled through Sarah’s son. Once Sarah’s son Isaac was born, the tension between the two families came to a head meaning that Hagar had to leave.
Hagar had run away once when she was pregnant with Ishmael and God had spoken to her then, promising that He would bless her son too. Abraham was 86 when Ishmael was born and 100 when Isaac was born. Ishmael was caught making fun of his half-brother and so he and his mother were sent away. In the fourteen years that Ishmael had been Abraham’s only son, Hagar may have felt confident that she would have some status. She had given Abraham the son that Sarah could not. So when she was sent away all of that changed. In the fourteen years had she forgotten the promise that God had made to her, relying only on her circumstances?
Now in her despair the angel of God spoke to her again and reminded her of that promise. It seems that as they wandered in the desert, they had become lost and disorientated. In despair Hagar saw only the dire situation they were in. And it seems she didn’t turn to God, for the angel told her that it was her son’s cries that God had heard. Once she listened to what God had to say, she was able to see what she had not seen before – there was a well close by. Her mind was so fixed on the situation that she had not realised help was close by.
We too can become so consumed by the circumstances that we find ourselves in, that we forget God’s promises, and sometimes even to ask for His help. Yet He is merciful, and if we listen to Him, He will show us how to deal with our situation. We might even find that the solution has been hidden in plain sight, we were just too consumed by the situation to see it. God never intends us to wander about unaided in a difficult desert place. If we find ourselves in that position, its time for us to pray. He will certainly hear us.
Dear Lord,
Help me never to be so consumed by my circumstances that I forget about You. Thank You that in Your mercy You will hear my cries. Help me to see Your hand at work in every situation I find myself in. When I am in despair help me to look up and look to You. I pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.