Waiting on God | kdmanestreet

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, ‘The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to do what Sarai said.” –Genesis 16:1-2

Genesis 16 is bittersweet.

Bitter from the consequences of Abram and Sarai’s efforts to “help God by helping themselves”, which have snowballed into the Israeli-Arab conflict we see today. (The Arabs descended from Ishmael.)

But this chapter is not without some sweet spots. In compassion, God reaches out to Hagar—who is forced into an ugly situation—and graciously promises that her son, Ishmael, will also have many descendants.

You may read Genesis 16 here: Bible Gateway.

The Back Story

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” – Hebrews 10:35-36

Abram and Sarai, now 85 and 75 respectively, have demonstrated great faith in God’s promise of many descendants. But after years without conceiving—not to mention the human impossibility to birth babies in their old age—the thin scraps of their faith finally snap.

Unwilling to forfeit the possibility of having a family, Sarai proposes a last-ditch effort that aligns with the common practice of their day.

Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Since Hagar is their own personal property, any children she might bear to Abram would belong to Sarai (according to customs).

Abram concedes. And Hagar conceives.

Naturally, sparks begin to fly between Sarai and Hagar with this newly arranged marital affair. As tension builds, Sarai—who instigated this plan—blames Abram. So Abram allows Sarai to handle Hagar however she pleases.

The result? Sarai’s burning anger and frustration—against Abram, herself, and Hagar—boil into harsh mistreatment. In desperation, Hagar runs away.

El Roi: The God Who Sees

As the journey through the wilderness (probably towards her home in Egypt) would be tough, the “angel of the Lord” meets Hagar and tells her to go back to Abram.

This is the first use of the “angel of the Lord” in the Bible. The context (vs. 13) implies that this “angel” was God Himself, another preincarnate appearance of the Messiah.

I love that God addresses Hagar by name. Although He gave special promises to Abram, His love and concern for individuals are shown here. And though it wasn’t God’s will for Abram and Hagar’s union, He promised Hagar a son who would also have many descendants. God gave him the name, Ishmael, which means “God hears”. Hagar would likely remember how God met her need. She also named the well where God spoke to her “the well of the Living One who seeth me” (Beer-lahai-roi), and called God El Roi: “the God who sees”.

God also reveals Ishmael’s future disposition to Hagar: “a wild donkey of a man” who will live in hostility toward all his brothers (vs. 12).

Hagar Returns

Encouraged from her encounter with God, Hagar returns to Abram. She must have told Abram her experience because when their baby is born, Abram (86 yrs.) names him Ishmael.

Reflect

Sometimes our biggest test is waiting for God to act. The temptation to fix things is strong, but even our best intentions—apart from God—interfere with His plans. Although our motives may begin with a pure heart, God never justifies sinful means.
Anger, if left unchecked, can be dangerous. . . . Instead of blaming others, do we need to fess’ up and ask forgiveness in an area?
God often wants us to face our problems head-on instead of running away (even though it may be justified) . . . . Do we need an attitude adjustment? Which promise(s) of God do we need to stand on?

Several years ago I discovered a cracked egg in my fridge—plastered in scotch tape. Like the king’s horses and men who tried piecing Humpty back together again, my son tried repairing our cracked egg. 🙂

This picture came to mind as I reflected on a much more serious incident that happened to my husband last winter.

Several of you already know this story. But it’s a good reminder to me of the following: We—like egg shells—are fragile; our time here is short, take advantage of God given opportunities; God is the One who holds us together and gives us our every breath (Acts 17:28; Colossians 1:17); we need each other; and, God works powerfully through the prayers of His people (James 5:16).

After fighting a cold nine days, Eric came down with the stomach flu. This set the stage for the “perfect storm.” I was shocked how quickly his breathing became labored. After driving him to the ER, the doctor confirmed a bad case of pneumonia on his left lung.

“He will need to stay in the hospital on antibiotics for a day or two,” the doctor said.

But our two days turned into 10 long days. (I realize that sounds short compared to what some people have gone through, but with both of us being active and healthy, this completely caught us off guard.)

Although the doctor did everything by the book, the medicine wasn’t reaching the infected areas. In fact, the bacteria spread to the other lung and into his blood.

Not a good sign.

After the fourth day, my hopeful outlook began to dim. “I won’t mince words,” the doctor said, “this is one of the worst cases I’ve seen.”

Watching my once healthy husband struggle to breathe—even with an oxygen mask—unnerved me. “If he doesn’t improve by tomorrow morning,” the doctor said, “we’ll need to move him to a larger hospital and connect him to a ventilator.”

Another bad sign. That would disable him from breathing exercises, which the nurses stressed as extremely important for his lungs to get back in shape.

The next morning, Sunday, I needed a break from the hospital. I went to church with my Mom and my sister’s family. At the end of the service, the pastor opened the altar for prayer. I didn’t want to go down because I knew I’d lose it. I’m pretty private (believe it or not). But when I set my pride aside—and yes, lost it—God met me there. His Holy Spirit comforted me with His peace.

I didn’t know what God had in mind for Eric. Lord, are you really calling him home to heaven now? I prayed. His rapid downhill condition indicated yes. But he’s not even 40! Although I knew we would meet again in heaven, the thought of raising our three kids alone and being without him increased my anxiety.

But the Holy Spirit prompted me to trust and wait upon God (Isaiah 64:4-5). During that time, I daily battled to replace my fear and anxiety with His peace and comfort through reliance on Him. I’m thankful He loves us unconditionally, through all the doubts and fears. In fact, He shines brightest during our darkest moments. I’m also thankful for the support from family and friends.

Although I don’t remember the outcome of my son’s taped egg, I’m grateful to share: God has completely restored Eric back to health. He doesn’t even have signs of scarring, which the doctor had predicted.

June 2013

I credit God’s intervening hand to the many people who prayed for Eric—many who don’t even know him, yet faithfully lifted him to God’s throne room. I can’t predict how or when God moves and works, but I know He hears our prayers (1 Peter 3:12). He chooses to move through our requests that align with His will and purposes.

Whatever difficult circumstance(s) you might be facing, don’t give up. God wants you to come to Him right where you are, even in the middle of your mess. “The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. . . . Blessed are all who wait for Him!” (Isaiah 30:18) Nothing is too difficult for Him.

Have a great week!

~ K.D.