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Abram and Sarai were childless, yet God had promised that Abram’s seed
would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5). Sarai became
discouraged with waiting, and in Genesis 16:1-6 we read how she takes it into
her own hands to provide an heir for her husband. Sarai gives Hagar, her
Egyptian maidservant, to Abram so that he can father a child by her. Read Genesis 16 to find out what Hagar
was afraid of and why she was running?
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What makes you run from situations? What makes
you afraid in those situations? What have you run from recently, what provides
you with comfort, courage, and security from what you are afraid of?
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Read Genesis 16:7-16. What words of discipline
did the angel of the LORD speak to Hagar? Why do you think God waited until
Hagar was in the wilderness before confronting her?
·
Why does the Lord not seem to rescue us
immediately from our perils and fears? What lessons might He want to teach us?
·
What words of comfort did the angel tell Hagar?
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How had God helped you walk back into fearful
situations?
When David was in danger and full of fear, the Holy Spirit brought to
his mind words of Scripture. These words of the Lord brought great comfort and
strength to David, as evidenced by his words of praise in Psalm 56.
How might Hagar have used verses 4 and 10-11 of Psalm 56 as words of
praise?
When we are in the middle of a fearful situation it is not easy to just run away. Sometimes we feel paralyzed, speechless unable to make a rational decision.
ReplyDeleteHager was afraid and confused. Although she fled physically from her fearful situation, she did not leave from her doubts and uncertainty of what her future might hold. Hagar did not cry out to God as David did in Psalm 56. But God met them both in the middle of their fearful situation. God is a God of love and peace not confusion or fear. He had a plan for Hagar, he confronted her with his words spoken by the angel of the Lord, telling her to walk back into her fearful situation and trust in Him that she would be the mother of many.
In Psalm 56 as David is crying out to God he stops and says;
When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?
We too may come to the Lord in tears, crying out our fearful situation knowing and trusting that God loves us, he cares for us and he hears us.
In the midst of fear we can find confidence in his promises that he will never leave us or forsake us. He has won the fight for us. We are to have faith as Hagar did as she walked back into her fears trusting that God would take care of her and bless her. And she like David were not alone. God was with them tell the end.