We often struggle to feel secure in life. The temptation to white-knuckle life for control is alive and well and many times an issue of sin. Today’s guest author will share with us the importance of knowing we are secure in God through all the ups and downs of life.
Do you feel secure in God’s care? Few Old Testament narratives convey God’s love for the desperate as poignantly as Hagar’s story. She was merely a slave, probably a gift from Pharaoh during Abraham and Sarah’s sojourn in Egypt (Genesis 12:16).
A Desire To Be Secure Vs Being Secure in God
For some reason, Sarah didn’t feel secure in God but rather, selected Hagar as the cornerstone of her plan to assist God and provide an heir for Abraham. Hagar may not have volunteered to be a pawn in Sarah’s scheme, but she was no fool. As soon as she became pregnant, she flaunted her position as “heir-barer” (Genesis 16:4).
After Ishmael was born, Hagar fiercely protected his firstborn rights. She also tried to preserve her privileges as a second wife. All she wanted was to feel secure—a comfortable life and a future for herself and Ishmael.
Secure and In Favor
However, Hagar found herself homeless, jobless, and friendless at least two times (Genesis 16:6; 21:14). In both instances, God became her rescuing knight, not because she deserved to be rescued but because He cared about Hagar and Ishmael. He deliberately reached out to them, blessing them with His favor and expanding His covenant with Abraham to include the two outcasts. we read in Genesis 16:9-10, the angel of the Lord promises, “Return to your mistress and submit to her. … I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for the multitude” (ESV). Years later, when God insisted that Hagar and Ishmael leave Abraham’s household, He renewed His promise, telling her, “I will make [Ishmael] into a great nation” (21:18).
God provided—not the life Hagar may have envisioned—but the life He deemed best, the life that fits into His eternal plan of redemption. Did God supply a secure life for this mother and child? Hagar’s security was not tied to Abraham’s household or an earthly inheritance; her security was bound up in the sovereignty and love of God.
The truth is they were secure in God the entire time!
Related post: 4 Healthy Ways to Get Security from God, Not from Man
God Sees Us
God truly is El Roi, the God who sees me (Genesis 16:13). He sees my misery, my desperation, and my helplessness. He sees what I most need on any given day and provides it (Philippians 4:19).
I am secure in God!
I am secure in God's care. God truly is El Roi, the God who sees me. You are secure in God too. Genesis 16:13 Click To Tweet
God Hears Us
He’s also the God who hears me when I cry out to Him. Sometimes His answers are puzzling, but His ways are always right. The path He chooses for me may seem unattractive or even dangerous, but He promises to care for me. And if I, like Hagar, follow His directives, I’ll reap the blessings He has planned for me (Psalm 138:8).
We Are Secure in God’s Care
How comforting to know that one Egyptian slave woman and her son were precious in God’s sight. How encouraging to know that you and I are equally precious to Him. We are secure in God‘s care. Walk into your day with that truth securely tucked in your heart.
Take the next step: Read Hagar’s story in Genesis 16:1-16 and 21:1-21. Have you ever felt as desperate as she did? How did God provide for you?
For more inspiration and encouragement visit Denise Loock at http://www.digdeeperdevotions.com
If you enjoyed this post, you will enjoy these:
How To Strengthen Your Faith and Resist Your Doubts
How To Have A Consistent Quiet Time with God
Breakthrough the Obstacles To Your Spiritual Growth
To God be the Glory!
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