Freedom Friday: Dust of the Desert

July 4, 2014

The wound Hagar experienced from Sarah wasn’t the last wound Sarah would project onto Hagar. The last wound ended with Hagar and her son thrust out into the desert. I can’t imagine how she may have felt.

Betrayed
Belittled
Abandoned
Rejected
Discarded
Unwanted

And the list can go on and on. One thing remained on Hagar’s mind. Like any other mother she focused on her child. However, there was one instance when she turned away from her son, left him under a tree, and went off by herself. We understand those moments of needing five minutes to regroup. But in the silence and dust of the desert, a miracle took place.

I like what Dena wrote:

“Sitting in the dust of the desert, Hagar experienced desolation. Like Jennifer, she sat in the silence. And in the silence she began to cry, because she believed she and her son would die. Can you imagine having to watch your only child die of thirst? I can’t fathom being in such a heart-wrenching situation.

Then God, who would watch His only Son hang naked—in extreme thirst—on the cross, heard the boy’s cry. And in compassion and mercy, just as He had once before, God used an angel to minister to Hagar and Ishmael.”

The angel said, “Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.”

And here’s the best part! The angel said, “Lift the boy up . . . and take him by the hand.”

Ah did you see it? Our wise Lord knows what it takes to move us. In order for Hagar to lift her son to a standing position, she would need to first stand. Hagar would then have to place herself in a position of strength in order to pull her son up.

Once the focus was taken off Hagar, she could move into a position to help others around her. And once again the God who sees her, opened her eyes once more to see Him . . . and so she did . . . she saw a well of water; the water that would nurture them and the True Living Water.

That’s freedom my friends: