Read
And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot, for she said, 'Let me not see the death of the boy.' And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, 'What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Arise, lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.' Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
Meditate
Today’s message
I look at Hagar in the desert with a piece of bread, a skin of water, and a dehydrated boy, and I hear her choked cry: 'Let me not see the death of the boy.' I have been in that place of dust in the soul, when the last drop dries up and we can only step back a little, at a distance of a bowshot, to avoid seeing the worst. But I need to tell you, as I told my own heart: it is not the end yet. God enters the story just when everyone has already written the final period.
Read again with me: God calls Hagar by name, asks what is wrong with her, calms her fear, and commands: arise, lift up the boy, hold him by the hand. Then, He opens her eyes to see a well that interrupts the sentence of death. The Bible hides from us whether the well was already there or if God opened it at that moment — and that changes nothing: what changes is that God heard the cry and came with provision.
What God said to Hagar — and says to us
- What troubles you, Hagar? I know you by name; speak to me, do not fear.
- Arise: prostration does not sustain a child, nor a future, nor faith.
- Lift up the boy: direction and presence change the course in the desert.
- Hold him by the hand: firm support while the water does not come.
- See the well: provision appears when God opens our eyes.
The end has not yet come
Notice the movement: from crying to calling; from fear to rising; from thirst to the well. What seemed like a conclusion becomes a comma. The text says that God was with the boy; Ishmael grew in the desert and became an archer. The desert that seemed a grave became a school. The place of the sentence became a path of formation. When God enters, He not only takes us out of the desert; He teaches us to cross it standing.
Practical ways for today
- Do not throw in the towel: the end has not yet come.
- Stand up and hold your child's hand: he needs direction.
- Cry out and ask: Lord, open my eyes to the well you have prepared.
- Parents, guide your children's dating: turbulence in dating anticipates tragedy in marriage.
I believe that God can change the scenario, as He changed Hagar's. He interrupts periods where only commas fit. He opens wells where there was only sand. If you thought it was a final period, stand up. Take by the hand those who depend on you. Speak to God by name, for He has already spoken yours. And when the eyes are opened, fill the skin and go — the desert will not be your tomb; it will be your training.
Did you know
- According to the account, Ishmael lived in the desert of Paran and became an archer, a sign of adaptation and formation in that environment (Gn 21:20-21).
- Beersheba, the setting of this passage, is associated with wells and covenants in Abraham's life, including the 'well of the oath' (Gn 21:31).
- The ancient custom mentioned: in many contexts of the Near East, children were weaned around three years old.
Key phrases
- It is not the end yet.
- To God, she has value.
- For a mother to help her child, the mother must rise.
- The Bible hides from us whether that well already existed or if God had just opened it to help Hagar and her son Ishmael.
Translated from the Portuguese original.
Seek
To seek today
Go deeper
Go deeper
Hernandes Dias Lopes | A BÊNÇÃO DE CONFIAR TOTALMENTE EM DEUS
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