“The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.”                   Genesis 16:7 NIV

The angel says four things to Hagar. First, “where do you come from and where are you going?” These are always arresting questions. Hagar answers the first, but she has nothing to say to the last. She does not know where she is going. Where can she go? The question draws her helplessness sharply to her attention. Then the angel says, “Return and submit.” This is the only way to experience the grace and blessing of the Lord. Had she gone on wandering into the wilderness, it would have been disastrous. Both she and the child in her womb would have died. When the Lord finds us wandering, this is always what He says, “Return and submit!” “Submit to the circumstances you dislike, and I will work it out. To do anything else is folly.” So, Hagar returns. With the command to return comes the promise of blessing. Blessing always follows obedience. “I will multiply your descendants so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” Then follows the prophecy of Ishmael’s nature. “He shall be a wild ass of a man, his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him.” Have you found the Lord to be the One who lives and sees, the One who knows all about your life, and your circumstances? The One who knows the past and the future, and says to us as He said to Hagar, “Return and submit?” This is always difficult but it is the place of promised blessing.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, it’s always hard to return and submit, yet it leads to blessings.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, it’s always difficult to return and submit, yet obedience to Your Word always leads to blessings which we can see. AMEN

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Matthew 19:13-30

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