“And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the drink. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer” (Genesis 21:17-20).
First, let me wish you a very Merry Christmas!
We left off yesterday with Hagar and her son, Ishmael being cast out of Abraham’s household. They begin wandering in the desert of Beer-sheba. Once their provisions were gone, things looked pretty bleak for them. Hagar placed Ishmael in the shade of the bushes and stepped away. She didn’t want to watch her son die in the heat of that desert. She began to cry. God heard the cry of her son. He speaks from heaven to Hagar and reminds her of the promise He had made. He tells her to pick up her son and move on. Scripture tells us how God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. They would survive.
You may be going through a fiery trial, feeling parched as you seem to be wandering around aimlessly. Cry out to God. He sees your plight and hears your cries. He stands ready to reach out with His Mighty Hand to help you.
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for believers in Côte d’Ivoire meeting together for special Christmas services.
