Do you see me? part 3

Just when Hagar thinks she can’t go on, the Angel of the Lord (quite possibly Jesus, in His pre-incarnate form – a “theophany”) FINDS Hagar (verse 7). He knew exactly WHERE she was. He knew exactly WHO she was. And He knew her past situation, and her future (verse 8).

Our situation may not change. We may still be dealing with health issues, we may still have kids who don’t listen, a spouse who is disengaged, a boss who doesn’t care… but every situation in which we find ourselves is an opportunity for us to draw closer to Jesus. It’s a chance for us to humble ourselves and say, “Okay, God. I realize my situation isn’t changing – but CHANGE ME! Help me to be the person You created me to be. Let me honor You with my words, with my actions, with my reactions. Make me into the best me I can be!” It’s not about them. It’s about you. It’s about me. Pastor Brad has often said that “God is more concerned about our character than our comfort.” Are you letting your present situation be the place where God can further develop your character?

But even as the Angel of the Lord made Hagar see herself just as she was in her present situation, He also gave her hope for the future.

11 And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. 12 This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”

Hagar’s situation wouldn’t change: she would still be a servant to Sarai. She was still pregnant. But she would have a son, with a rather wild future, but he would thrive. He would raise his fist at the world, and he would survive!

But her son was named by God Himself: Ishmael – “God hears.” From this point on, every time she looked at her son, every time she would hear his voice, every time she washed his clothes, made him a lunch, played a game with him, watched him sleep, Hagar would forever know that GOD HEARS. God hears HER!

GOD HEARS YOU! That’s one of the things that sets God (Jehovah) apart from all other gods. He’s not made of wood or stone, or some precious metal or jewel, an inanimate object that neither hears nor sees (Isaiah 44). He DOES hear. He DOES see. He DOES act. And He does it because He loves you. He wants a relationship with you. Not just when it’s an emergency, but every day.

He’s always there for us. Are we always there for Him?

Continued tomorrow