Digging Deeper: Patience in Suffering
7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11 And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” 13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. 15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Genesis 16:4-7-16 (ESV)
PATIENCE IN SUFFERING
Hagar is pregnant with Abram’s child, and has been treated harshly by Abram’s wife, Sarai. Hagar flees the household, and we find her in the wilderness by a spring of water. She is the collateral damage of a plan gone awry, and is not in an ideal place for a pregnant woman. She is visited by the angel of the Lord. In her time of suffering, God shows up. We can all learn from the story of Hagar as we face the mountains in our path.
When Hagar was faced with what looked like an insurmountable obstacle, she ran from it (most likely back toward her homeland of Egypt). However, God had other ideas. The angel of the Lord met her in her desperate situation. He asked her pointedly, “Where are you going?” How many times in our lives have we faced what seems like insurmountable circumstances, and like Hagar (and Jonah for that matter), tried to run from God? It is interesting to note that God finds Hagar by a spring of water, just as Jesus finds the Samaritan woman at a well (offering her living water that only he can provide).
The angel now tells Hagar that there is a plan and a purpose in her suffering. The Lord has listened, and the Lord will protect her. What is amazing in this story is Hagar’s reaction. She (a pagan Egyptian) recognizes that God is in her presence, and that He will look after her. She puts her faith in God.
I think a powerful lesson can be learned from this part of the story. God will show up in the midst of our trials and sufferings. It may not be as recognizable as the angel of the Lord, but He will show up. He has promised us that. Paul said, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Rom 12:12). God will see us through the hardship, but it will be on His timeline, and by His will. As David so succinctly reminds us, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Ps 37:7). Be patient in your suffering!
Phil Meade is a father of three, and grandfather of five. He has a Masters in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NorthStar Church. He recently retired after 33 years as a pilot for Delta Airlines.