“The Angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was a spring that is beside the road to Shur. And He said, ‘Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?’ ‘I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,’ she answered.’ Then the Lord told her, ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” Genesis 16:7-9.
The story was about Sarai making a terrible mistake. Out of her frustration, she became cruel. The reason why Sarai mistreated Hagar, her servant, was because of desperation. Sarai felt that she was not the best wife because she cannot bear a child for her husband Abram. Being a desperate woman, she let her husband sleep with Hagar, her servant the Egyptians. Thinking that she can build a family through her. But the result was worse. When Hagar became pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. So, there was a conflict between Sarai and Hagar. And because the situation was getting worse, it made Hagar go away from her mistress.
Hagar chose to be alone to stay with her mistress without a good relationship. She wandered, bringing her pain, fear, and humiliation. Hagar’s tears night and day did not stop falling from her eyes with a feeling of being left alone and nobody cares. It was the saddest moment of Hagar’s life. But when the Angel of the Lord found her near a spring in the desert, he came to comfort Hagar. He gave good counsel to Hagar and promised her a beautiful life if she would return to her mistress.
If we are in Hagar’s shoes, maybe we will doubt if we take the advice or not since we know she came from a complicated situation. But in this case as we read the whole chapter 16, we cannot find that Hagar refused the advice, obediently, she went back to her mistress. In our life, if we are in situations that are heavy to us, our loving God is always there to rescue and to restore us. God is abounding in love, slow to anger and compassionate God. If the people around are negative toward us do not be dismayed or discouraged because we have God anytime who is ready to rescue us. Do not focus on the negative situation in your life but look up to God, he will not just to rescue you, but he will also restore you. This restoration is a divine restoration, the totality of being you from beginning to end according to God’s design of your life, he will bring this to completion. If we obey God’s command, he will make his promises true to us. God is still reaching out to his people to rescue and restore them especially those who are in trouble. Life in God is rescued, restored, and blessed.
