A Personal Meeting with God

Read Genesis 16.

At this point in the story, Abram is on the land God promised and he is propering.  But the second part of God's covenant to him has not happened.  He had no descendants.  He was 85 and his wife was 75.  They reasoned that God was not meeting their need.  Times of "little faith" or "loss of faith" in God causes us to be vulnerable to selfish, silly and even satanically influenced decisions.

So, Sarai and Abram decided not to wait on God.  Instead, they took matters into their own hands.  Hagar was an Egyptian servant to Sarai, who was probably given to them by Pharaoh in chapter 12.  It turned out to be one bad decision followed by another, as now this pregnant servant is abused.  Hagar fled.

We get to see another personal appearance of God.  This time as "the angel of the LORD".  This is a preincarnate appearance of Jesus Himself!

Do not miss the character of God displayed toward Hagar.
1. The LORD found her.  It is a picture of God pursuing those who need Him.
2. The LORD questioned her.  Doesn't He already know the answer?  Yes.  But will she listen to His voice and respond?  God wants us to voice, admit, confess the truth back to Him.
3. She responded.  She confessed, "I am running" from my problems.  It is most often a turning point in one's life, when they can admit this.  Running from issues, rather than facing them, only worsens the situation.  In addition, no one can out run God.
4. The LORD's message to her was to turn around.  The word repent means to turn.  It is a turn FROM going the wrong direction and turning TO God's way for life.
5. The LORD made a promise to her and described a future for her descendants.  He did not have to do this.  It is called grace.  When God made the promise to all of us of eternal life through faith in Jesus, it was solely provided to us by His grace.
6. The result was a personal relationship with the God of heaven and earth.  Surely, she had witnessed Abram's worship, but now this relationship has become hers.  She had her own encounter with the living God.  Ishmael means "God hears".  Then, she declared, "You are a God of seeing."  God sees.  More than that, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me."  God cares.

This same One pursues me today, to show me His grace, as He hears, sees, and cares about the needs in my life...and yours.