40 Day Journey - Day 4 (Hagar)

I'm speaking at a retreat in a couple of months, the theme is Draw Near.  As I read the Bible I am a little more aware of the idea of drawing near. What I am finding is there is not a simple equation, or 3 step process in order to Draw Near.  God's ways are mysterious.  And Genesis perplexes me.

I read through chapter 19 when Lot's wife turns into a pillar of salt.  A Pillar of Salt?  What in the world? All I can think about when I see this scene in my head, is a deer or a camel coming by and licking her toes.

The other mystery is Hagar. The woman seems caught between a rock and a hard place for sure.  She is an Egyptian maid to Sarai.  There may be a little pressure (self-imposed?), God has promised Abram to be made into a great nation.  His descendants would be as numerous as the stars. Yet, they have no children and they are past their child bearing years.  Sarai had to do something! (so she figured)

Her plan? Give her maid to Abram and through her, maybe they could start a family. Abram in all his wisdom agrees.  Of course Hagar becomes pregnant and Sarai gets mad.  It sounds like this may be a honeymoon baby...not much time passed,  Can you imagine how hurtful that would be to Sarai?  All these years of trying and yearning for a baby and Hagar becomes pregnant her first try?

In her anger, Sarai decides to treat Hagar harshly.  What does Hagar do?  She runs away.  Here she is a foreigner and a slave.  She is given to her mistress's husband to bear a child.  Not because of love, not because she is wanted, but because they need something from her. She gets pregnant and can hardly rejoice in this baby, who will he really belong to anyway?  On top of all this, Sarai now treats her horribly.  Can you blame her for running away?

But then God shows up.  Genesis 16:7 says, "Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness..."  As far as we know, Hagar just ran away.  We don't hear her calling to the Lord for help or mercy.  She was found as she was running away. God came near.

There is much more to the story, but one of my favorite parts is when Hagar gives God a name.  El Roi.  "Thou art a God who sees."  And that was enough for her to go back and do what God asked her to do.

And this is enough.  Though I don't always understand what God is doing in my life, or why He allows certain circumstances to take place, I know He sees me.  And if He sees me, He cannot be far off.  And when I least expect Him, like maybe when I am running away, He is probably poised ready to draw near to me.

There may not be a simple equation to drawing near to the Lord, but I'm pretty sure it is happening as I spend time in His Word, reading it expectantly, attentively, and humbly.