The God Who Sees预览

The God Who Keeps

And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. Genesis 17:20

Sarah might not have wanted Hagar to have any part in God’s promise to Abraham, but here’s the thing: God’s promises are not based on what other people want. And despite what those around you say and do, God will keep His promise.

Not only had God promised Abraham that his offspring — which included Ishmael — would be as many as the stars (Genesis 15:5), but God had made a separate promise to Hagar back in Genesis 16:9-10.

Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

We don’t know if Hagar lived to see her family grow, but we do know soon after God saved her and Ishmael, she found Ishmael a wife. And in Genesis 25, the Bible lists out the sons of Ishmael and notes where their descendants settled. In spite of everything — all the hardships, tears, and struggles — God’s promise still came to pass.

When God says He will do something, He does it. Granted, it might not always look like what we hoped or expected. Hagar probably never expected to find herself abandoned in the desert with her son when God promised to increase her descendants. But even in her darkest and loneliest moments, Hagar was reminded of God’s presence and His promises. And she got the gift of being the first person to give God a name. And what a powerful name it is: The God Who Sees Me.

When people failed Hagar, God provided. When people cast her aside, God drew closer. When people overlooked her, God saw every corner of her broken heart.

And He’s still the same God, which means the same is true for you today.

Challenge: What’s a promise from God you can cling to? Write it down somewhere as a reminder when things get hard. Don’t know where to start? Choose a promise from one of the following verses; Psalm 34:18, Matthew 6:26, Isaiah 41:10, or John 16:33.