November 5, 2006

Does Jesus Care?
Gen 21:9-21

"Does Jesus Care when my heart is pained with burdens too deep to bear And the chorus: Oh yes he cares I know he cares his heart is touched with my grief. when the days are dreary the long night weary I know my savior cares."

Imagine the grief of Abraham's heart as he is hears the bitter voice “Get rid of that slave woman and her son” Then feel the sadness deepen as he hears the voice of God saying, Abraham don't be distressed about he boy, but leave him to my care. while it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned, I will bless This one too and make him a mighty nation

Abraham was a father

Oh of course Sarah was upset because this young teenager mocked her chosen special baby boy. Of course Ishmael mocked him, he was Abraham's pride and joy til this ...this...upstart came along to claim the inheritance. We can understand Sarah's reaction even as we see it was wrong, We can understand Abraham's grief, the only hard part is to understand why God takes Sarah's side here . Do as Sarah says, I will take care of these.

And faithful Abraham obeys despite his broken heat. The very next morning he takes food and water and sends these two away.
As far as we know it was the last time he saw them.

Separations and sorrows

There was nothing wrong with Hagar and Ishmael. As a matter of fact as the story continues we find God taking their part. They were sent away from Abraham but not away from God or His care. The thing is that Abraham was told to choose not Gods good, but Gods best.

You have seen that many times no doubt if you have walked with God for any length of time. God asks some thing from your life, takes some good thing, asks you to give them up not because they are wrong but because He has something better for you.(moving?)Maybe God knows!
But in view of what is going to come in ch. 22 where God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, this may be preparation of Abraham for that supreme test. Maybe Abraham was holding on to some personal pride that at 86 he had produced this youngster. Perhaps he was not wholly appreciative of the grace of God in the conception and birth of Isaac.
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Or maybe he was still clinging to Ishmael as a possible heir in case God doesn’t come through on this deal. But we do not know Gods reasons.

Recall a few chapters back that God had promised Abraham he would make Ishmael strong? remember weakened in faith as Sarah reacted to this Concubines kid He said “Oh that Ishmael would live before thee. And I know you recall that God often does that, doesn't spell out his reasoning . we might guess why he is doing something but often God does not say why, he just wants us to trust Him.

Now lets visit the desert and see the hand of God which is faithful and able to save.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16-18 And she went, and sat her down over against [him] a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against [him], and lift up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he [is]. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in Thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

Have you ever been at the very end of your resources ? Have you ever been emotionally and physically drained? Have you given up all hope? Then you know what Hagar is feeling .

At the end of herself and her resources, her son dehydrating under a bush in the desert, Hagar sits down and weeps inconsolably. Trapped in a situation over which she, as a slave, had no control she gives in to despair.

Now she gets on her cellular phone and dials a psychoanalyst and sets up an appointment for next Wednesday at 10 to review the reasons for her depression.

She will delve deep into her scarred past and review her horrid childhood, her slavery, her forced pregnancy, her mistreatment at the hands of that woman her owner. And the good doctor will nod and frown and say hmmm and will let the poor dear know that all these problems are not her fault (as if she doesn't know that) and he will give her a prescription for Prozac or something similar to make life better.

Only one problem with that scenario. No shrink, no Prozac and if that enterprising woman had a cellular phone shed call canteen service and ask for a delivery. But she is not able to do any of those things and so she is sunk.

I mean what did people do before they had all this?
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Well some flipped their wigs some died some took their life, but some did what she did and got help from God

Seriously folks, there are some depressions that are chemical and you better see your doctor. But much depression is sourced in your spirit and that needs spiritual attention. Hagar needed that, she also needed some actual physical help. she needed someone to intervene and spare her and her sons life. That someone is the Father. It is often hard to trust in God .

It is sometimes very difficult to see where the wherewithal to feed and clothe your brood is coming from. It is sometimes hard to trust in God as to their spiritual outcome when they are independent of you and seemingly going the wrong way. It is hard to trust in God and that is strange because he is verse 29 tells us His purpose Look at it. 29 ¦ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Gods purpose is eternal. Now many times He showers temporal blessings on us. He graciously provides our needs But when a seemingly bad thing happens and you prayed with real faith and God didn't seem to listen, its because He, Like Ford, has a better idea. He desires to conform you to the image of His son. Paul understood that as he wrote:(Philip 3: 8 -10 Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; ) It is trust that pleases God, Not Generic trust but trust in Him(Heb 11:6) And He always accomplishes His purpose.

Hagar though is in an immediate need situation. God is the God of immediate needs. I know that I have asked God for many things that he didn't deliver
I thought that they were essential for my life. But God doesn’t hold the same standard of living for me as I may at times. But let me tell you this! Where God guides HE provides.

I love how God provides. Not all of my wants but all my needs. How He delights in seeing me depend on Him and how often I find God waiting till the last minute just to check one more if I really trust Him.
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But even when my faith is small He still provides. I have told you of His provision for the trip to Africa through a sister in Jesus. Tell how he provided the money for our trip to Take Mary to school .

I don't always understand all I want to about Gods ways, but I know this, He is good and He can be trusted to do it right. And if doing it right, that is making me more like Him, means hardship and loss and sorrow, then I pray that He will give me grace to bear it.

In pastures green?
Not always.
Sometimes He who knoweth best,
in kindness leadeth me In weary ways,
where heavy shadows be.
and by still waters?
Not always so;
Oft times the heavy tempests round me blow,
And o’er my soul the waves and billows go.
But when the storm beats loudest and I cry
aloud for help
the master standeth by.
and whispers to my soul “lo tis I.”
so where he leads me I can safely go,
and in the blest hereafter I shall know
why in His wisdom he hath led me so.

Let us pray. Steve Nute