Open My Eyes so I Can See
I recently finished a bible study about Hagar, Abraham and Sarah from the book of Genesis, Chapters 16 and 21. I love this story because it reassures me that when I cry out to God – God not only hears my cry but He can handle any of my problems. Unfortunately sometimes I think that I can solve the problem better (or quicker) than God.
A Bit of Back Story
Sarah was Abraham’s wife. She couldn’t conceive and took matters into her own hands and gave her servant, Hagar, to Abraham. Things didn’t quite work out the way that Sarah had hoped. Hagar became pregnant and had a son, Ishmael but Sarah became very jealous and treated Hagar badly. Hagar wasn’t innocent in this situation. She began to feel a bit superior to Sarah because she had a son and Sarah didn’t!
Finally about 10 years later, when Sarah was 90 years old, she became pregnant and gave birth to the promised child, Isaac. God had promised them a child over 25 years earlier.
Ishmael was now not the promised son that I’m sure he and his mother, Hagar, had begun to believe. Now…he was just a son of a servant girl. Sarah wanted them to leave the camp and told Abraham to send them away. God reassured Abraham to do as Sarah wanted. He promised Abraham that He would take care of Hagar and Ishmael.
Hagar and Ismael in the Desert
When the morning came, Abraham gave Hagar and Ishmael bread and a skin of water. Can you imagine lasting more than a few days in the hot desert? When they ran out of water, Hagar thought that they would die. She hid her son under a bush and began to cry.
God heard her cry and then ”opened her eyes and she saw a well of water”. (Genesis 21:18) The water well had existed all along but Hagar couldn’t see it because all she could focus on was her misery and that she was about to die.
Sometimes I feel this way. I can’t see God’s blessing and provisions for me because of obstacles or problems that I think are in my way. I feel as if God has deserted me and left me alone in the desert to die!
God Has A Plan
When we have used up all our of our own resources, sometimes we’d like to sit down and cry like Hagar and focus on our own misery and despair. Remember that God is in control and has a plan for each one of us. He loves and cares for us. All we have to do is open our eyes and focus on the Lord. He’s always there with us and has a much better solution for our problems than we do.
“Lord, when I am filled with despair, doubt and confusion, help me to be like Hagar and cry out to You. Please open my eyes to see the many blessings that you have given to me and my family. Help me to believe that even when I feel like I am in the desert, You are with me watching over, protecting and providing for my every need. Amen!”