Two-minute read.
When Hagar fled from Sarah’s abuse, she found herself pregnant and alone in the wilderness. Or so she thought. Sitting by a spring of water, an angel of the Lord finds her. Asking her where she came from and where she plans to go, Hagar told him her sad tale. Abused by Sarah, she fled. Surprisingly, the angel tells her to return to Abraham’s house, where she will give birth to a son whom she will name Ishmael. Hagar responds:
“Thou art a God of seeing”; for she said, “Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing him?”
Genesis 16:13
After Hagar returns and gives birth to Ishmael, Sarah’s jealousy causes her to send the woman back into the wilderness, this time with her son. Out of water and food, Hagar places her son under a bush to die, not wanting to witness his death. When Ishmael cried, the Lord heard him and sent His angel, who ministered to her, providing water and prophesying over Ishmael’s future. Once again, God came near the broken-hearted, rescuing her and giving her hope and a future.
When life crushes our spirit, God comes close and rescues us, as He did for Hagar. In the darkest valleys, the Lord’s light still shines. A pinprick of light still casts out the darkness, and with it, we can find our way to safety. One small step of faith leads to an eternity of glory. As we follow the Savior, He never leaves us, His Spirit residing in us. The Lord had perfect timing, showing up when we needed Him the most. Jesus offers us the living water from which to drink, satisfying our every need.
Looking up will help you see the light. When we center our thoughts on ourselves, depression can take root, but keeping the Son in our eyes gives us a new vision. When God came to Hagar and Ishmael, He opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. (Gen. 21:19). When we have a crushed spirit, we can experience spiritual blindness, unable to see in front of us. But God opens our eyes to what we can’t see, instead of focusing them on what we can.
Pain and heartache come with life in this world. But take heart, we have a Savior who overcame the world and offers us living water that will sustain us. God comes near to the brokenhearted; He rescues us from our storms, giving us refuge in Him. No one loves us more than Jesus, our biggest cheerleader. When our spirit gets crushed, the Savior will come close and strengthen us, helping us persevere.
Journal Questions:
How has God shown up for you?
In what ways do you need help from the Lord today?
How can you keep your eyes on Jesus?
Application:
Thank God for His presence.
