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What difference would come to your situation if you stood face to face with Christ and talked with Him about it? Hagar was a woman who was desperate and alone, and decided that the best thing to do was to leave – to flee! She ran away from Sarai and Abram into the wilderness. This is where He often finds many of us – alone and in the wilderness. But rest assured, He will find you. He knows all about our past as well as our future.
How many of us are running away and have “run into God”? (Nahum 1:7) We run from:
- Unfair treatment or words
- Hardships
- Difficult marriage – Sometimes just in our spirits, but we’re “absent”
- People that disagree with us
- Bad memories
- Reality
- Church
So often our crisis comes because we’re caught in the cross-fire of someone else’s sin. Such is the case with Hagar, an “innocent by-stander” who has to deal with the mistreatment of Sarai.
We may ask, “Where was God when this was going on? Why didn’t He stop the sin?” When she ran into the Lord, she learned that He was right there. He had seen it all. He was hearing it all.
In answer to the question, “Where was God when this was happening?,” let’s ask this – what is greater – someone who could let the dam down to stop the flow of water, or one who would jump into the raging waters to rescue one drowning in it? Of course it is the Rescuer! Did God want this to happen? No. Abraham and Sarai disobeyed God when they put their own plans into action! Now God was there to comfort Hagar IN her distress. Romans 8:37 Nay, IN all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
Maybe like Hagar, you’re also running from a difficult situation in which you were unjustly treated, and perhaps like Hagar, you were part of the problem. Take comfort in the truth that El Roi sees your distress. He has heard when others spoke harshly to you.
Anxiety makes us doubt God’s lovingkindness, and thus our love to Him grows cold; we feel mistrust, and then we grieve the Spirit of God, so that our prayers become hindered, our consistent example marred, and our life is one of self-seeking.
Like Hagar, it may take our backs being against the wall to stop us and teach us, and how does God do this? Face to Face. We must be still with Him so He can speak and we can hear!
Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
When Hagar met Christ face-to-face, how was she revitalized? How can a face to face encounter with Christ revitalize us?
A. We see Christ IN our trying situation. Gen. 16: 7
B. We see ourselves as we really are – “Sarai’s maid” – She had contributed to this problem by exalting herself.
C. We learn what to do. Return – Repent. V. 9 Call your sin what God calls it. Be honest – He already knows.
D. We are reminded of His promises. V. 10
E. We realize God knows every detail of our lives – He called her by name. He knows your name, too.
F. We learn the character of God. El-Roi – The God Who sees V. 13
G. We understand how much He loves us.
H. We can do the hard thing – V. 9 She was to go and submit to Sarai.
It isn’t our circumstances that need to be changed – it’s our heart. We need to change the way we’re thinking about ourselves and our situation, and that will only happen when we sit face-to-face with Jesus, when we sit and listen to Him speak to us. We may get tired of our circumstances, but we will never tire of sitting and spending time in His presence!
Refresh your situation by sitting alone with Jesus. Share your heart, then listen as He speaks to you!
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