I was thinking that this blog might be a fitting one to bring over today after the post on Sunday. Please don't misinterpret me. I am not trying to compare myself to Hagar as a "victim," but rather that as God met Hagar's need--He sees me too--and is using others like Bernadette to meet my needs.
Feb. 4, 2007
I am trying to read the Bible through this year. I’ve come across the Biblical account of Hagar and have been moved by how relevant this ancient story remains.
To me, it seems that Hagar was a victim. A servant to Sarai, whose very name meant "contentious," Hagar became pregnant with Abram’s child…and it was Sarai’s idea. When Hagar became pregnant she used her pregnancy to taunt infertile Sarai (sounds like a soap opera!) and Sarai treated her badly. So badly, in fact, that Hagar ran away. While Hagar was in the desert, the Bible says that an angel of God appeared to her. The angel told Hagar to go back and submit to Sarai and that her (Hagar’s) descendants would be too numerous to count.
Sheila Walsh tells this beautifully, I think. "Hagar was deeply moved by the words of the angel. She was more profoundly impacted by the fact that God saw her, knew where she was, and knew all about her situation. She was dying out in the hot desert, alone, abandoned by human flesh, but not out of divine view. She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me, for I have said, I have now seen the One who sees me’ " (Genesis 16:13).
I have never been abandoned by someone that I have loved, but I know family members who have, and the pain has lingered for years. I have however, encountered desperate moments, where I wondered if God knew what was happening in my life. And as my life comes in contact with others, I find that I am not alone in my wondering. Broken relationships, financial hardships, physical illness,(may I insert loneliness?); these are just a few of the circumstances where we may find ourselves in the "desert" of our lives, thirsting for a drink. Genesis 21:19 says, "then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water." God met Hagar’s need.
I love this poem that Sheila Walsh includes in All That Really Matters:
Think not thou canst sigh a sigh,
And thy Maker is not by:
Think not thou canst weep a tear,
And thy Maker is not near.
Oh He gives to us His joy,
That our grief He may destroy:
Till our grief is fled and gone
He doth sit beside and moan. --William Blake
Feb. 4, 2007
I am trying to read the Bible through this year. I’ve come across the Biblical account of Hagar and have been moved by how relevant this ancient story remains.
To me, it seems that Hagar was a victim. A servant to Sarai, whose very name meant "contentious," Hagar became pregnant with Abram’s child…and it was Sarai’s idea. When Hagar became pregnant she used her pregnancy to taunt infertile Sarai (sounds like a soap opera!) and Sarai treated her badly. So badly, in fact, that Hagar ran away. While Hagar was in the desert, the Bible says that an angel of God appeared to her. The angel told Hagar to go back and submit to Sarai and that her (Hagar’s) descendants would be too numerous to count.
Sheila Walsh tells this beautifully, I think. "Hagar was deeply moved by the words of the angel. She was more profoundly impacted by the fact that God saw her, knew where she was, and knew all about her situation. She was dying out in the hot desert, alone, abandoned by human flesh, but not out of divine view. She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me, for I have said, I have now seen the One who sees me’ " (Genesis 16:13).
I have never been abandoned by someone that I have loved, but I know family members who have, and the pain has lingered for years. I have however, encountered desperate moments, where I wondered if God knew what was happening in my life. And as my life comes in contact with others, I find that I am not alone in my wondering. Broken relationships, financial hardships, physical illness,(may I insert loneliness?); these are just a few of the circumstances where we may find ourselves in the "desert" of our lives, thirsting for a drink. Genesis 21:19 says, "then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water." God met Hagar’s need.
I love this poem that Sheila Walsh includes in All That Really Matters:
Think not thou canst sigh a sigh,
And thy Maker is not by:
Think not thou canst weep a tear,
And thy Maker is not near.
Oh He gives to us His joy,
That our grief He may destroy:
Till our grief is fled and gone
He doth sit beside and moan. --William Blake
Comments