Running from Problems
Devotions for Growing Christians
Running from Problems
Genesis 16:6-11 - “Your servant is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. The Angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
Then the Angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The Angel added, “I will increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.” The Angel of the Lord also said to her, “You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ismael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.”
Background
Hagar was the personal maid servant of Sarah (Sarai), Abraham’s wife. Hagar was Egyptian, and most likely she was purchased as a slave when Abraham and Sarah were living in Egypt (Genesis 12). Sarah was unable to conceive, so she suggested that Abraham take Hagar as a concubine. This was certainly not the way the Lord planned to fulfill His promise that Abraham would have a son! However, this practice was not uncommon in that culture, and is even mentioned in legal contracts of that time. This idea was of pagan cultural origin. And perhaps Sarah thought that just maybe this scheme might prove that their lack of children was not her infertility, but Abraham’s!
But Hagar conceived, and as a result she began to despise Sarah. In bitter frustration and anger, Sarah blamed Abraham for the situation, and began to treat Hagar harshly. Hagar became so desperate that she decided to run away from her problems. Most likely she intended to return to Egypt, since Shur (v7) was on the wilderness road between Abraham’s home in Beersheba and Egypt. It was here that the Lord met Hagar. Although He told her to return and submit to Sarah’s authority, the Lord also encouraged Hagar by giving her some wonderful promises.
Teaching Point: God sees and hears the plight of abused and disadvantaged people.
Does God see the plight and hear the cries of the disadvantaged people in this world? As we look around at those who seem to have gotten the “short end of the stick,” it sometimes seems that God doesn’t hear or see the plight of people who are underprivileged or disadvantaged. The biblical account of Hagar certainly refutes that idea!
Through no fault of her own, Hagar was in a terrible situation. Undoubtedly Abraham and Sarah had taken advantage of Hagar. First they purchased her as a slave, then they forced her to become a concubine. Then she was reduced from a position of privilege as Sarah’s personal servant and Abraham’s concubine to the status of an abused slave - all because she obeyed orders! Her chances for marriage vanished. She was treated so harshly that, in desperation, she was forced to run away.
But God sees the plight and hears the prayers of the disadvantaged and downtrodden. The Lord knew all about Hagar’s problems. He heard her cries, He had seen her situation, and He personally came to her in the wilderness to strengthen her and encourage her.
Notice that God found Hagar. Hagar wasn’t seeking God, and she had no idea that the Lord was seeking her. She was completely unaware that God cared for her personally. To her amazement, Hagar discovered that God sees the desperate plight of those who are abused and disadvantaged. And He didn’t just see the problem - He did something about it! No wonder Hagar referred to God as El Roi, which means “You are the God who sees me” (v13).
Notice what the Lord said to Hagar in verse 11: ”You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.” Ishmael means, “God hears.” God had heard the cries of poor, downtrodden Hagar. All that God promised her came true. Yes, there has been bad fallout down through the years between the Jewish people and the descendants of Ishmael, just as God predicted (v12). The consequences of Abraham and Sarah’s sin (and all sin) are serious and long-lasting. But for Hagar, the Lord both saw and “heard of her misery” (v11).
Are you downtrodden? Has someone taken advantage of you? Do you feel that you’re disadvantaged or an “underdog”? Do you feel like you always end up at the bottom of the heap? God sees your plight. He hears the cries of abused and disadvantaged people.
Practical Application: Don’t run from your problems. With God’s help, work them out!
Hagar tried to run away from her problems, but the Lord told her to return to her bad situation. God even told her to submit to Sarah, who had mistreated her so harshly. Because of the Lord’s personal care and encouragement, and because of His promises, Hagar was able to face her problem and see that the Lord was working in her situation.
Rarely can we run away from problems without experiencing negative results. God wants us to face our problem situations and work them out. With His personal presence in our lives, and His wonderful promises of help and encouragement, we will begin to see Him at work in our lives - even in our problems. As we work though the situation with the Lord at our side, our trust in Him will grow stronger and deeper. God can and will work out His purposes for us, even in the most desperate problem situations we may face.
Psalm 52:2-3 is a great encouragement: ”I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me. He sends from heaven and saves me… God sends His love and His faithfulness.”
When we go through desperate situations, it helps to remember that God’s purpose for our lives is not always achieved through our personal comfort or smooth sailing throughout life! His ultimate purpose in our lives is not earthly or temporal. God’s purpose for each one of His people is to make us more like the Lord Jesus - and He works through every situation in our lives to achieve that purpose. See Romans 8:28-30 and don’t stop reading at the end of verse 28!
Are you facing a problem right now? In your marriage? In your family? In your finances? In your relationship with a fellow-believer? In your relationship with the Lord? Don’t try to run away from your problems! Don’t give up! Return and face the problem situation. Ask the Lord for His help and wisdom, and He will surely answer you with His personal presence and encouragement. As with Hagar, the Lord sees your problems and hears your cries. As you look to Him, He will help you.
Don’t try to run away from your problems! Work them out, with the help of “the God who sees me.”
- Dave Reid