Genesis 16
4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 6 … Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

I’ve experienced many different levels of anger: so mad I’m shaking, so mad I have to walk away, so mad my ears become extremely hot and turn red, so mad my voice steadily increases. The worst of all is when I am so mad I can’t contain myself and the tears start flowing.

Why do I mention my levels of anger?
Because I think Hagar was going through her own levels of emotional distress during this season in her life.

At this point Hagar has been with Sarai for years and I would imagine that even as her slave they had as cordial and positive a relationship as was appropriate. However the minute Hagar felt something other than complete respect for her mistress things began to go south. Hagar mustn’t have been the best at hiding her emotions because it’s obvious from verse 6 that Sarai felt her disdain and responded in tow.
Talk about baby momma drama!!!
I can’t begin to imagine how poorly Sarai must have treated Hagar for her to get to the point of, “I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!”. She got to level 10 of fed up. Sick and tired of being sick and tired she packed a bag and hit the road.

Hagar ran away.

She ran away from the problem. She ran away from her reality. She ran away from a toxic and apparent hopeless situation.
Who was she to compete? She was still a slave and had no rights.
So she fled.

I know Hagar isn’t the only person who has ever felt so overwhelmed, hurt, disappointed, disillusioned, mistreated, hopeless or burdened and thought the best remedy would be to take the next exit off the highway to crazy. I’ve done this myself. I ran away from situations and circumstances instead of facing them head on. I am sure that maybe some of you have as well. Things didn’t go as planned in the fleeing process did they? I know they definitely didn’t for me and they didn’t for Hagar either.

I bet she thought she could just go back to Egypt with her son and start a new life. Little did she know that in running away from Sarai and the mess her life had become she was actually running right into a holy encounter with God.

7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert;

I love verse 7. In such a low desperate moment God finds Hagar. She was Egyptian and probably didn’t even follow the same god that Sarai and Abram did, yet their God went and sought her out in the middle of the desert. The desert always makes me think of the driest most arid condition of the heart and soul. Hagar was physically and emotionally in a desert. God met her there. He didn’t just happen upon her, he went looking specifically for her.
Isn’t that beautiful?
He is gracious like that and if he did it for Hagar he will also do it for you and me!
So if you are in a desert today I hope these words may be a refreshing icy cold drink to your spirit. God can and will meet you where you are.

8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.”

God met Hagar in the desert to give her an instruction. An instruction to get out of the wilderness.

My God will not leave you in the desert longer than need be! God will provide you with a way out, a lesson learned. Which is exactly what he did for Hagar. He tells her to go back and submit. Basically he’s telling her to get her emotions under control and not allow them to interfere with her responsibilities. Sarai may have been wrong but that doesn’t mean it was okay for Hagar to be anything but honoring.

10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” 11 The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.

After God gives Hagar an instruction he gives her a promise. That’s so encouraging. Just as much, or maybe more, as God wants our obedience he wants to bless us. I have a friend who would always say, “God wants to bless you more than you want to be blessed.”
Listen for the promises and get ready for your blessing!!!

13 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.”

In closing, Hagar went through so much in a matter of 13 verses. She started off as a slave who was ordered to become pregnant and when it happens she despises her mistress. As a result her mistress treats her severely and she runs away. While fleeing she encounters God in the desert and he gives her an instruction and a promise.

Her response is FAITH! She declares her belief in God. She reminds us that God’s eyes are on us. He sees us. He hears our cries. He knows our pains and sees our misery.

My Prayer For You:

Heavenly Father, I am so blessed by Hagar’s story. Thank you for this image of protection. Thank you for revealing to us how you watch over us even when life seems to be the driest of deserts. Lord God I pray that you may use Hagar’s story to bless and impact someone’s heart today. That as we celebrate Easter this weekend we may remember the gravity of your sacrifice. Help us not to take you for granted but that we may live lives that reflect who you truly are. I pray all of these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Memory Verse: Deuteronomy 31:8
Deuteronomy 31:8  It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”