Hagar’s story from the Bible isn’t the first one anyone thinks of, yet it is our story so many times. You’ll find it in Genesis 16. It is the story of Sarah’s Egyptian maid, whom Sarah used as a surrogate to get the child God promised Abraham. Helping God out is never a substitute for obedience!
Unfortunately, Sarah’s plan backfired miserably. Hagar used her pregnancy to make life unbearable for Sarah. Sarahi retaliated with her version of “Who do you think you are.” Finally, Sarah sent Hagar packing.
It’s never a good idea for a pregnant woman to run into a desert without water or a cell phone! Hagar was on the verge of dehydration, which would eventually mean death when God sent an angel to her.
Remember, she’s a pagan Egyptian. Her gods are stone and never breathe or talk. But in the middle of a sunstroke, Hagar understands someone is with her.
The angel asks two critical questions:
Where have you come from and where are you going?
Can you think of any better questions to start a New Year? Where we have just traveled stays with us like the sand caught in sandal tread. Whether it was challenging, long, complicated, fun, or mixed—the year we’ve finished is still very present. However, unexamined or unresolved issues wait to sabotage us at our most vulnerable moments.
Hagar couldn’t blame Sarah entirely for her desert dilemma. Hagar brought it on herself but would never admit it. Recognizing our part in relationship failures or decisions is the first step in moving forward. This isn’t about putting ourselves down; it is practicing in Spirit-led honesty about my attitude, my choices, or my perspectives. While we can’t change what we did or thought, we can change how we move forward. That’s growth.
The next question of the angel was just as important: Where are you going? Hagar’s short answer was probably, “I don’t know.” Maybe she was trying to get back to Egypt, but her only hope would have been a desert caravan going in that direction. Sounds like bad planning to me.
As we start another year, we need to address the same question. Where are we going? Don’t show me your exercise, home, or work goals. Name the most important quality you want the year to share: peace, contentment, unity, spiritual growth. If I have learned anything in the past several years of push, it is that work, health, or organizational goals don’t make me a better person. Only listening to the Holy Spirit, my ever-present Messenger from God, and obeying His nudges, openings, and direction have grown me.
Hagar sat in the middle of a dessert she could not master, recognizing God as the God Who Sees. There, sun-parched and ready to give up, a God she had never met knew where she was and what she was experiencing. I wish it had been enough to change her story, but it wasn’t. However, it was enough to save her life.
Today, whether you find yourself in a desert-like trap or the middle of a push, expect a tap on your shoulder from the Messenger God always sends to help us find our way. Then, you will join Hagar in a moment of worship when you recognize that God has seen your struggle and wants to walk you through His way.
Comments