Fully Seen!
Sometimes you just cannot deny what God is wanting to remind and teach you. Friday I was having a conversation with my dear friend, and we were talking about Jackie Hill Perry, how much we glean from and love her writing, teachings etc. She told me I needed to look up JHP’s teaching on Hagar. As usual, I got sidetracked and went on with my day thinking I’d look it up while on my walking pad, and the walk didn’t happen yesterday. So this morning-I remembered, looked it up on YouTube and paused it so I’d have it ready when a moment happened that I could listen. Picked up my Bible and my Journey devotional (yea I got 2 devotions going at once) and flipped to today. You’ll never guess what it was on today…yep Genesis 16:13…the story of Hagar. So as many times as I've read the story of Hagar I read it and learned even more. I’ve always loved this story, and some of the key verses. But today-spoke to me bigger and better than ever. Especially when I know God wanted me to learn from it, because -come on- He placed it in front of me, not once but twice. Coincidentally-nope. He’s not a God of happenstance, He’s a God that speaks to us, and confirms things if we will just listen.
If you know the story of Hagar and have pondered it, maybe you’ve had some thoughts like I have. I felt bad for Hagar, for one-her name-it’s a little dreadful. Sorry. Second, I felt bad for her because she didn’t choose her circumstance, she was chosen. I can sometimes relate to that. I even said the other day, “some choose their bad situation and sometimes bad situations choose you.”🙋♀️Totally relate-some situations chose me, and some I chose, sadly.
Back to Hagar-she was chosen because she was a servant to Sarai to have Abram’s child because Sarai could not have a child. Breaks my heart reading that Sarai had to choose that, because in OT times if you couldn’t have a child, you were shunned and seen as less than. Having to choose another woman to have your husband’s child is not even fathomable to me. I’m sure all kinds of insecurities were stirred up.
As Sarai’s servant-Hagar complied and did what she was suppose to do. Another thing I just can’t wrap my head and heart around it all-she just complied.
I’ve often wondered why Hagar began showing contempt to Sarai after she got pregnant. I can only imagine why?! I mean I’d probably be thinking this is not in my job description at all, but maybe it was then. Was the contempt conjured up by the feeling we get sometimes of,’ I’ve got something you don’t,’(in this case your husbands baby growing inside of me,) or was it ‘here I am carrying a baby, doing the hard part and I have to give it to her once it’s born?’ I’ve often tried to figure out Hagars thoughts -to sympathize or empathize with her in this situation. I think I can understand her contempt more now as I’ve read and thought about it. I honestly can’t wait to listen to JHPs take on it.
Then I look at Sarai, bless her, she was mad and angry, probably even at God that she couldn’t have a baby. That was probably one thing she wanted most-to give Abram a child because having a child then took on a whole new meaning. She was probably feeling lil worthless, thrown aside, maybe even felt unseen. She had to be trally impatient, she wanted what she wanted right then, she didnt think waiting was fun, and ultimately wasn’t trusting God to handle it. Ouch!! Sounds a little like me sometimes, wanting what I want and being mad I’m not getting it.
So in her impatience and her unbelief that God would do what He said, she took it into her own human hands. Why don’t we learn????
Anyway, she had a plan and poor ole Abram was probably like when the wife’s happy I’ll be happy-let’s just do this!! And maybe Hagar the Egyptian wasn’t too bad to look at. Who knows?! Anyway, he was just trying to please the wife because she’s probably cried, complained and drove him crazy over the fact she wanted what she wanted right now. And he needed a child. So…it happened. Sarai was probably overjoyed then, but then realized Hagar wasn’t being the committed servant any longer because of all the things she (Hagar) was feeling. Sarai complained to Abram, and well as men sometimes do, he brushed it off with a “you got us into this mess, now you can fix it.” 🙄🤣
Sarai fixed it all right-she treated Hagar so bad, Hagar ran away. Don’t we all just ant to run sometimes-because we want to escape the hurt, the pain, or just don’t see a way out (some more than others) She ran away from the problem, when the problem was actually going with her. The problems always do seem to go with us.
Hagar, pregnant, thinking ‘all I was doing was doing what I was suppose to do…and here I am, alone, wondering why I’m in this place when I certainly didn’t choose this.’ Asked that a few times myself.
But God!
He saw her!
He called her by name!
He even asked ‘where are you going!’
And I always love this because-our all knowing God always knows our comings and goings, He knew the whole time where Hagar was going. God, like with Adam and Eve when He asked them in the Garden-“where are you?” knew the whole time. He maybe was asking more of -why are you running away from me? He always sees us too.
In the question and answers between God and Hagar -He instructs Hagar to go back, do the right thing. And in that exchange, Hagar learned that she’d have Ishmael and more kids than she could count. She was gonna be blessed, for doing the right thing.
She also came to know of Gods watch over her. “…You are the God who sees me.” And even better she saw God…”Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” God saw what she’d endured, He saw how she’d been treated, He saw her doing the right thing…and He was going to bless her…in His time and way.
A reminder to those of us that sometimes wonder when everyone else seems to be “getting theirs” i.e. the good life when not even doing the right thing, sinning without repenting, continuing to live in the ways of the world instead of the ways of righteousness. A reminder to those that are doing the right thing but feeling like doing the right thing gets you nowhere, obeying, praying and striving to live godly lives but still struggling-does God see them?
HE DOES! WE ARE SEEN! YOU ARE SEEN!!Just as Hagar was.
“O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.” Psalms139:1-5
And yes, God sees those that live ungodly lives …
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Hebrews 4:13
The thing I’m reminded and even still learning is that God sees me, He sees it all. The good the bad, the ugly. He sees me and my sins, He sees when I’m obedient, when I’m not. He sees those that have sinned against me, those that have blessed me. When I’m running away or trying to hide -like Hagar-He will ask me where I’m going, even tho He knows, and call me back.
He SEES me!!! And as my friend texted me back when I told her about God giving me 2 Hagar encounters she sent back…
“You are fully seen, fully known, and fully loved by GOD! And so are you. ❤️
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