“Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He said… and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised.” What a glorious verse. I love knowing that God takes note of me. That one day He’s up there and …. suddenly… I’m on His mind.
And then… the Lord took note of TRACI… and did for TRACI… what He had promised.” He has done that… and will continue to do that for me… and for you… over and over and over again.
Sarah said “God has made laughter (Isaac) for me… and everyone who hears will laugh with me.” And we have, haven’t we?? We’ve looked at this situation from every angle… from the faith angle to the human angle of a 100 year old man getting his 90 year old wife pregnant. And we laugh… as God said we would… and as Sarah said we would.
So Sarah has her son… the son of the promise. And one day she’s looking out the window of the tent and sees Ishmael, born to Abraham and Hagar, mocking Isaac. Taunting him. Picking on him. And anger rose up within her and even though this was a mess that SHE masterminded… now she puts her foot down and says Hagar and Ishmael have to go.
Now, earlier, when Hagar was pregnant and Sarah wanted her gone, Abraham simply said “She’s your maid, do with her as you wish.” But NOW… Ishmael is 14 to 15 years old, a young man. And when Sarah speaks the same thing to Abraham THIS time we’re told “And the matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son.” We always hear sermons about Abraham’s great faith where sacrificing Isaac was concerned. But what about Ishmael? He was his only child for 14 years. They had bonded. They had spent many days and nights and years together. And now… Sarah wants him gone. Just like that. And Hagar as well. Abraham and Hagar must have bonded too, and not just because of their son. They had spent intimate nights together. Probably talked and laughed and shared the whole pregnancy experience together (I’m guessing here), raised a child together… and now, she and her child had to go.
But it wasn’t only Sarah that wanted this. God says to Abraham “Whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her.”
So the next morning, after what had to have been a sleepless night, Abraham gets up, packs some bread and water and puts it on Hagar’s shoulder… and gave her the boy and sent her away. How heartbreaking! Abraham loved his son, and probably Hagar too at this point. This, to me, also shows a measure of Abraham’s faith. God told him “don’t be distressed because of your son and the maid. I will make a great nation from him also, because he is your descendant.”
So they left, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. All of her resources were gone… there was nothing left to sustain her. Have you ever been there? I have. Have you ever just been obedient… loved deeply… gave up your dreams for someone else, only to be put out, turned away without warning? To find yourself alone… wandering… with nothing left? I have. And she did all that she could do in that moment. She laid down what she had… what she was trying to protect. She hid it under a bush… and lifted up her voice… and WEPT.
Again… have you ever been there? I certainly have. And this next part touches me. Verse 17 doesn’t say “And God heard Hagar crying.” It says, “And God heard the lad crying.” He heard Ishmael… what she lived for… her hope… her child.. her dream that she put down in her wilderness. In my wilderness, is it the dream that I let go of that cries out to God? Is it my hope that I’ve given up on that He hears crying God responds to the cry of hope that has been cast down. He responds in that spiritual realm.. to the purpose He has for me that I just turned my back on. My purpose… my hope… my dream wants the fulfillment that can only come when I yield it to my creator. When I lay His purpose for me aside, it, in turn, cries out to God.. .and God doesn’t come down and wrap His arms around me or dry my tears or put my head on His shoulder. God just yells from heaven and says what He said to Hagar.
“What is the matter with you, Traci?” Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of your dream… of your life.. .of your hope… crying out from where (he) is. Crying out from where you left it.
Arise, Hagar, lift up the lad and hold him by the hand. Arise, Traci, lift up your dream… hold it by the hand. Hold it tightly, for I will make something great out of it.
Then God opened Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well of water, and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink. And God was with the lad, and he grew.
What does it take for God to open my eyes? Is it a gentle touch or a slap aside the head? Is it a whisper? Is it a yell? One point of truth is this… when I am crying in my wilderness, God will open my eyes. But first, in faith, I have to pick that dream back up and take it in my hand. When God told Hagar to pick Ishmael back up and take him by the hand, she had no idea how they were gonna’ survive. God hadn’t opened her eyes yet. In FAITH… I need to hold on to my hope. Would God have opened Hagar’s eyes and showed her the water if she didn’t do what was commanded I don’t think so. He would have let her go… and found another way to fulfill His purpose for Ishmael. If I don’t arise…and be obedient… and raise back up the dream and the hope I’ve hidden under a bush, God will find someone else to fulfill that purpose to which He has called me.
Hagar filled up at the well. She drank and she gave sustenance to her son. To her dream. A word from God was all she had… and her obedience to that word allowed her eyes to be opened and her life, and the life of Ishmael, to be spared.
And God was with him, and he grew.
And God is with my dream… my hope… my life. And He will raise it up and cause it to grow, and fulfill its purpose, as well.
PS: Great Read:Never Stop Dreaming
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