Will Anyone Miss Me?
If you have ever felt like that, then you can relate to Hagar’s heartbreak.
After Hagar is used by Abraham and Sarah to conceive a son, it doesnât take long before conflict arises. Hagar is disrespectful toward Sarah; Sarah bullies Hagar, and then one day, âSarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.â (Genesis 16:6 NLT)
Poor Hagar. Taken into a manâs chamber, but never into his heart; released by her mistress, but never set free. When Hagar realized her attempt to gain the upper hand did not work, she ran away. I imagine that Hagar never felt so alone. Perhaps she ran away thinking, âNo one will miss me.â Or, âIf I run away, then theyâll miss me.â
When Hagar was treated as chattel, she reacted with contempt. When Sarah was treated with contempt, she responded by bullying. And when Hagar was bullied, she ran away. Just as in the Garden of Eden, all the enemy needs is one person to take the first bite to set in motion a tragic chain reaction.
The Illusion of Control
For Hagar, running away likely offered her the temporary illusion of being in control. Even if she did not know where she was going, at least she could feel she was the one deciding which direction to take. It is not difficult to sympathize with Hagarâs identity crisis. She was likely acquired by Sarah at a young age. By now, her homeland is a distant memory, along with its pagan gods. She has no real relationship with the father of her child, and her mistress would probably love for Hagar to simply disappear. With no real home of her own, it is no surprise that Hagar does not know how to fully answer the Angel of the Lordâs question in Genesis 16:8, ââŚWhere have you come from and where are you going?â (Genesis 16:8a ESV)
Never Alone
While God does not always call us to an easy road, His ways can always be trusted. Despite how Hagar may have felt, Scripture assures us that she was never alone. God not only saw Hagar in her affliction, but He comforted her with an amazing promise. âThe angel of the Lord also said to her, âI will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.ââ (Genesis 16:10 ESV)
Hagar is the only woman in the Bible to whom God personally promised a multitude of offspring. Whereas Sarah will certainly be blessed with similar and more far-reaching promises, God bestows upon Hagar His personal blessing of âa multitudeâ that cannot be counted.] Hagar is also the only person in the entire Bible to give God a name, âYou are the God who sees meâ (Gen. 16:13 NIV).
Surrendering Control
How precious! In the midst of the wilderness and her woundedness, Hagar discovered she was known and she was loved. Her encounter with God gave her the courage to surrender control, obey His command, and return to her mistress – but she did not return the same. She had a voice. And she had a place. While she would remain the servant of Sarah, Hagar would also be known as the mother Abrahamâs son, whom God Himself gave the tender name Ishmael, meaning, âGod hearsâ (Genesis 16:11). One minute we see an oppressed runaway slave; the next minute, we see a bold and courageous servant of God. No one can encounter the living God and remain unchanged.
Tempted to Go Our Own Way
Throughout our lives, you and I will face challenges whereby we are tempted to go our own way. It may seem like we are in control, but the reality is that control is an illusion. We are all dependent on God for everything; even our very breath comes from Him (Genesis 2:7). The truth is that when you and I resist Godâs sovereignty, we hinder our own ability to experience His peace â the very thing our hearts long for the most. But praise God that He does not leave us in the midst of the wilderness and our woundedness – but willingly pursues us there!
âWhere shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?â (Psalm 139:7 ESV)
How about you? Are there any areas in your life where you struggle for control?
How can your perception of being able to take care of your problems yourself lessen your awareness of your dependence on God?
Adapted from my Bible study, HAGAR: Rediscovering the God Who Sees Me. 
I also have the privilege of sharing on Arise Daily Devotions which you can read here.Â
Shadia is a passionate Bible teacher, author and speaker who has a heart for seeing lives transformed by the power of Godâs Word. She holds a masterâs in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary and is author of several books and Bible studies.
Copyright Š 2017 by Shadia Hrichi. Published by Leafwood Publishers.
I loved this series! I needed to read about this today. It’s amazing how fast things can escalate…contempt, bullying, running away. Remember Who is actually in control and letting Him take care of the hard situations in our lives can save us so much heartache. Thanks for that reminder!
Amen, Erica. God is always with us and even if we stray, He is faithful to guide us back onto His path. âWhether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, âThis is the way; walk in it.ââ Isaiah 30:21
Shadia…..I saw the title “Illusion of Control”….got my attention…read the article, eye opener….then this question jumped at me: >>> “How can your perception of being able to take care of your problems yourself lessen your awareness of your dependence on God?”>>>>>> I’ve never seen this before and was not aware of this….I had been the type of person to take care of my problems, even into my walk with Jesus….any heart issues….but I would do this by myself without other people being involved….Just the Holy Spirit and myself….Well, I’m stepping out of my norm because this question is very intriguing to me and to hear how this could lessen my awareness of my dependence on God…..this is a whole different thinking for me…usually, I would go to a counselor or someone who had helped me before walking through heart stuff…but lately, it has been very different now and my life is more isolated than before. I at a place where dependency on God is a necessity….He recently shown me about my weight is a slow self destruction of my own self punishment, self hate….I don’t even know how to get out of this, other than I know Jesus can and His precious Holy Spirit empowers me…but that is as far I go unless I so happen to come across some one teaching in this place….Ever since I received your book “Worthy of Love”….it has been slow paced…another article I have read recently or a picture with a saying you had…..you can be forgiven but may not be healed from that incident….which was messed me up inside again….I have heard you are forgiven but there are consequences God would give you grace to walk through…having an abortion has that “cause and effect” in my thinking and I think I am stuck here…I know I am forgiven and had experiential this forgiveness but I couldn’t understand why I would still struggle in this area? Is there really a place in God to be healed in my soul that I had greatly damaged? This place is different and I am know for denial, but also my perception can be off kilter. The Gospel of Jesus Christ can not be so difficult but very simple to those that believe…I think this is the most toughest time in my life to face….if I’m on a road to self destruct, self punishment….I don’t want it anymore…and it could take my lifetime to be processed…..I would appreciate your prayers
Blessings, Char. I applaud your courage! God is clearly working in your life, gently exposing those dark places one by one. He does this because His desire is for us to be completely healed, which only He can do. Our part is simply to trust Him and yield to His holy work in us “for it is God who works in us to will and work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) Lord Jesus, I pray for your precious daughter Char; may You continue to grant her courage to trust the truth of your Word which promises hope, healing, and holy transformation to all who come to You (Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:17)Amen! Bless you, Char, continue walking with Him, looking only to Jesus, and He will guide your steps đ
Shadia, I love reading your insights. God has gifted you with excellent insights and a winsome way of communication. Keep up the good work! The Lord is using you.
Blessings, Pastor Galen! Thank you so much for your kind words; I can’t describe how much your encouragement means to me! ?