Hagar - Discarded

Genesis 16:7 - "The Lord found her ... "

Tangled, unavoidable webs. Sometimes we are pulled into relationships we’d just as well like to avoid. And to make the situation worse, sometimes the very ones meant to provide safety and support are the same ones that ignite our problems.

Well into old age, Abraham and Sarah were given the promise of a child by a God they trusted. They waited. And waited. But no child came. Embarressed and ashamed, Sarah found a solution -- "I’ll give my maid, Hagar, to my husband." So as custom dictated, Sarah gave her servant Hagar to Abraham to bear him a child. But Hagar was not responsible for what only God could do; it was a task the servant could never fulfill.

During Hagar’s pregnancy, she encountered resentment and jealousy from Sarah. Abraham - the father of the expectant girl - was afraid to step in and defend the servant girl. At Sarah's prompting, Hagar was forced into the desert, alone and frightened. But she wasn't alone.

An angel of God came to Hagar as she staggared through the wilderness. He said, "... the Lord has given heed to your affliction." The servant girl had not been forgotten. Hagar returned to her mistress, but when Sarah eventually birthed her own baby - the promised child - Hagar was once again discarded by her mistress. "Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Issac." (Gen 21:12) There was not even a morsel of pity offered to Hagar's baby -- the very child Sarah intended to be her husband's heir.

Once again, alone in the desert with only her young son, Hagar eventually ran out of water and food. She cried out and God heard this discarded woman. He lead her to water and gave her life to see her son grow into a strong, skillful warrior.

Though you may be used for the selfish gain of others, God will never forget you.

Prayer - "Lord, though I know times in the desert will come, even by the hand of another, thank You for Your continuous encouragement."