A Faithful Reminder
In the last lesson, Sarah issued a tough order that put several folks in a bad spot.
Hagar and Ishmael are on the verge of being homeless and Abraham has been asked to throw out his own son.
Thankfully, God is there to comfort Abraham AND to remind him of an important promise… two of them to be exact.
Remember this conversation? (See “Who’s in Charge Here”)
From our vantage point, it’s clear that God was keeping His promises to Abraham and that all was falling into place the way it needed to.
Unfortunately, when it comes to my own dilemmas, I don’t usually see it that way!
All too often, I find myself more absorbed in ruminations about whatever predicament has snagged my focus than in thoughts of God, His will, and His faithfulness.
Like Abraham, I need to be reminded of God’s promises.
Does this ever happen to you?
We get rattled on occasion. And sometimes …. we forget.
Which is more wonderful…. that God doesn’t forget? Or that He is so kind when we do?
I love that God’s reminder to Abraham offers no reproach but only a fortifying reassurance.
So Abraham sends them off…
Trying to envision this gives me chills…. Abraham putting the travel provisions on Hagar’s shoulders and watching her AND HIS TEENAGE SON walk away. Can you imagine?
How many parents will confess to having an occasional “moment” when their adult children have been visiting and it’s time for them to leave? Even when the goodbye is temporary, the sight of our kids walking away, getting in their cars and pulling out of our driveways can have us tearing up a little (or a lot!) as we stand on the porch and watch them leave.
What must have been going on in the heart of this father as his teenage son walked away… into the unknown and forever?
As for Hagar and Ishmael, they are off to wander in the desert.
When we meet with insecurity in our own lives, when we find ourselves unsettled by chaos we didn’t create and threatened by uncertainties we don’t control, it’s easy to forget about God’s power and promises.
We struggle to embrace faith over fear.
It’s a sad point in Abraham’s journey and a tough section of “desert” for Hagar and Ishmael; in many ways, we are living through some pretty trying times of our own.
There doesn’t seem to be much we can count on these days but here’s something we can:
God is FAITHFUL! He keeps His promises ... every single one of them.
Thankfully, in the case of Abraham and his family, life’s vicissitudes weren’t in charge of writing the final chapter of their story.
Because of the same Faithful God, they won’t dictate the outcome of ours, either.
What a comforting reassurance!
Wishing you strength, peace, and confidence in the goodness of our God… Until next time, Kim