Abandoned, alone, and afraid. I imagine that is how Hagar felt in Genesis 21. She had only followed orders. And now in a sudden twist, she and her son had been kicked out. They were alone in the desert. They had no more water. How would they survive? Where would they go? How would she provide for her son? It appeared that all hope was lost. She thought her son would die out there in the desert. And not a soul in the world cared.

Have you ever felt all alone? Have you felt that all of your family and friends had turned their backs on you? Did it seem as though even God gave up on you? Maybe you even gave up on yourself?

As a child of God, He has not given up on you. He loves you and He sees you and He hears you. Even when it feels like He is not there, you can trust Him. Even when everyone else runs in the opposite direction, He is there. Just like with Hagar.

Hagar placed her son under a bush. Then she walked away because she didn’t want to watch him die. She sat down and cried, feeling as though the only one left in her life was about to leave her too.

But God was there all along. He saw them and He heard them. It says in Genesis 21:17-19, “God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.’ 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.”

Suddenly everything turned around. Suddenly there was hope. Suddenly there was a promise for their future.

Psalm 10 reminds me of Hagar’s story. It starts off with a feeling of isolation. Verse 1 says, “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” But this Psalm ends on a positive note and we can see that God hears us and sees us, even when we believe otherwise. Verses 16-17 say, “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed…”

This is so important for us to remember when we feel lost and alone. God is there, even when no one else is. He shows up, when no one else does. He stays, when everyone else turns away. He is faithful and trustworthy. Cry out to Him and He will hear you. He will see you, even when you feel invisible to everyone around you. You are never alone.

© 2020 Bridget A. Thomas

Photo by Louis on Pexels.com