Being a parent is one of the hardest endeavors you will ever encounter. The blessings are tremendous but so is the heartache. We worry about school, boyfriends, grades, friends, insecurities, hurt, and more that we couldn’t imagine. There comes a time that we have NO choice but to give it over to God. Pray a hedge of protection and love around your children today and every day. Pray they remember the roots they come from and always find their way ‘home’ ~ Log Home Mom 💖
Genesis 21:1–21
Letting go
‘What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying…’ Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So… she gave the boy a drink. (NIV)
Ishmael at 14 would have been a teenage nightmare with a nature like his. The birth of Isaac would seriously have put his nose out of joint; so the ‘taunting’ of five-year-old Isaac erupted out of jealousy and hate, which were potentially lethal. Sarah’s ultimatum gave Abraham a heartbreaking dilemma, but he had finally learned to ask God before making a decision. But why would a loving God tell him to kick out his precious son? God had to protect Isaac and stop Ishmael’s murderous intention. He repeated to Abraham his promise to protect and provide for Ishmael. When Ishmael and Hagar were lost in the desert, it was God himself who rescued them and led them into a successful new life. Sometimes God’s way of blessing the people we love appears harsh at first, but he loves them far more than we do.
Do you find it hard sometimes to trust God to care for the people you love? Yet we get in God’s way when we refuse to let go, because God wants to teach them to rely on him, not us.
I’m wondering why Abraham sent Ishmael and Hagar away without slaves to protect and guide them. Perhaps Hagar, passionate and proud as ever, refused to accept help. Did she run off into the desert, as she had once before (Genesis 16:6)? Deep hurt often results in anger, which causes bad mistakes. She may have been so frightened and furious with God that she forgot his previous love and care; and self-pity blinded her to the nearby well until he showed her.
When life goes badly wrong, I’ve often found myself nursing my hurts because they feel like the only comfort I have left. Yet they can so easily prevent me from turning to God for help.
