“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’” Genesis 16:13 (NIV)
Sometimes life is just unfair. People can be selfish, cruel, and hurt us. We go through things no one should have to endure. Yet, others appear to go through life unscathed, as if nothing bad could ever happen to them. It can make us feel frustrated and hopeless.
As a child, I endured living with abuse and addiction. Sadly, I had no escape from my turbulent home life because my peers tormented me at school for being different. All I ever wanted was to feel safe and accepted. Instead, I felt angry, afraid, and alone.
However, we can find hope in the story of Hagar. In Genesis 16, we learn that Hagar was Sarai’s slave. God had told Abram, Sarai’s husband, that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars. However, because Sarai could not bear children, she gave Hagar to her husband to be his wife so he might have a child. However, when Hagar became pregnant, animosity grew between the two women. Rather than coming to Hagar’s defense, Abram told Sarai to do as she pleased with her servant. So, Sarai mistreated Hagar, till she fled into the desert.
Poor Hagar, she was enslaved, forced into marriage, mistreated, and run off. Talk about unfair! But God saw her pain and sent an angel to her. The angel told Hagar to name her son Ismael because the name “Ishmael” means “God heard.“ The angel told Hagar that she would receive vindication. Her son would become a thorn in the side of Abraham and Sarai’s people, and her descendants would be too numerous to count.
Thus, Hagar gave God a new name, “El Roi,” meaning the God who sees me. “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me’” (Genesis 16:13, NIV).
Dear one, yes, sometimes we struggle, and life feels unfair. However, we can gain hope from Hagar. Hagar’s story reminds us that God always sees, hears, and comes to our aid. God sees us when life is good, bad, or feels unfair. God comforts, strengthens, and rescues His people.
In the meantime:
- We can draw close to God for comfort. “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25, NIV).
- We can remember that, despite appearances, no one is exempt from pain. Even Jesus suffered. “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering” (Isaiah 53:3-4, NIV).
- We can have hope that God has good plans for us, just as He did for Hagar. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV).
- And, we can hold this promise in our hearts. “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast”(1 Peter 5:10, NIV).
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for always being there to see and hear me when I need you. I lift my hands to you today and implore you to comfort and strengthen me as I endure this difficult season. Thank you for the stories of your people, such as Hagar in the Bible, who give me hope and remind me that you will always come to my rescue. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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