The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
Lamentations 3:22-23
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
The promise of a son
I imagine you remember the story. God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah. But Sarah was barren, and they were growing old. Abraham had already questioned God about the promised heir. God had confirmed that Abraham would have a son – that he would be the father of many, as many as the stars in the sky.
Sarah, being a problem-solver, decided to take matters into her own hands. She offered her servant, Hagar, to Abraham, thinking that maybe they could have a son that way. Hagar conceived and bore a son, but that was not God’s plan. Sarah’s problem-solving only created jealousy and disrupted her relationship with Abraham.
In her jealousy, Sarah mistreated Hagar so much that she ran away.
So where’s the mercy?
While hiding in the desert, the angel of the Lord finds Hagar. Have you noticed how God asks questions to which He clearly knows the answers? He asks Hagar where she came from and where she is going. When she explains that she is running away from her mistress, the angel directs her to return to Sarah. And He makes promises only God can make. He tells her that she is carrying a son and that she, too, will be the mother of many descendants.
Hagar recognizes she has conversed with God Himself. The mercy is two-fold. No one can look on God and live, but she realizes she has seen the One who watches after her, and she names God “The One who sees me.” And, of course, that’s the mercy of God that He sees Hagar in her distress, visits her, comforts her, and also sends her back to live under Sarah’s authority.
Even though nothing changed, Hagar was aware that she was not alone. What a blessing it is to be mindful of God’s presence. He witnesses grief, betrayal, triumphs, and happiness. He does not turn His gaze away from us; instead, He deliberately seeks us out. Jesus said He came to seek and save the lost!
Prayer of Gratitude
Father, I am grateful that your mercy extends to us even when we are running away from our circumstances. The Psalmist said it best! Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? We experience the breadth, length, depth, and height of Your love in the wilderness, desert, or in our workplace, neighborhood, and city. What a mercy it is that we cannot escape your notice! Thank you for watching over us. Amen.
PS – You can read Hagar’s story in Genesis 16 and 21.
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