“Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.”
Genesis 21:19 NIV
The story of Hagar is an interesting one and one that many people can relate to. Now, not exactly relate in the sense that you were thrown out by your loved one because the spouse disliked your son and didn’t want them to share in the inheritance promised to their son. “But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.””
Genesis 21:9-10 NIV
However, more relatable is when Hagar is in the desert with Ishmael. “When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob.” Genesis 21:15-16 NIV
Hagar was so overwhelmed by the situation. She used to be with Abraham, had his son. The future she could of imagined. Then to lose that and find herself alone with her son, in the desert, and now without water. She becomes so consumed by fear and doubt that she accepts the worst case scenario, that the boy will die, and places him under a bush to save herself hear the cry of her child dying. Why was Hagar sobbing? Was it her failure being removed from Abrahams house? No, it was a situation out of her control. Similar to situations we find ourselves in at times. All the questions, frustrations and fears that consume our minds at those times. How did I get here? Why did this happen? What am I going to do? What if x,y, or z happens now? We become so consumed by our problems it’s almost impossible to see a solution, even if it’s right there in front of us. “Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water” Now did God literally open her eyes as if she has had them closed the entire time? No, God opened her eyes and her mind to possibility, to see clearly through all that she had blinding her way. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalms 55:22 NIV. By casting our cares or worries on the Lord and trusting in Him to provide, guide, or help us thru them, it gives us the confidence to take the next step. It relieves our mind to think clearer and to see the clear choice that’s right there in front of us. If you are lost, wandering in the dark, scared, worried, and afraid to take the next, open your eyes, open your mind to the true answer. See the well and take a drink. Quench your thirst for true, meaningful, purposeful life. Glory be to God.
33 and a Third 