7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.” 9The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority.” 10The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count.” 11The angel of the Lord said to her, “You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction. 12This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives.” 13So she named the Lord who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,” for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?”
-Genesis 16:7-13
This particular story of Hagar has always been a favorite of mine, especially as I have gotten older and learned more about the meaning of the original Hebrew text. Based on the Hebrew words used in this passage we learn that Hagar is running away in the desert but has no destination. She is physically lost but also spiritually and emotionally lost. As she is wandering in the desert, God comes and finds her. The Hebrew word masa is used here. Masa carries a meaning of searching and finding someone for a specific purpose. God does not find Hagar by chance but seeks her out to comfort her and give her guidance.
There have been a couple times in my life when I have felt lost, not physically but spiritually and emotionally. I was wandering in the desert like Hagar. My most recent time of being lost happened when looking for a job. I have known for a long time that God had called me to ministry but as Lake and I began seeking a place to serve I began questioning what God had really called me to. In interview after interview, I was asked what type of ministry I was called to, and all I could say was “I don’t really know.” Was I even supposed to serve in a church? Was I meant to be in ministry at all? After talking with nearly a dozen churches and getting far into the interview process with half of them only to get told the church was going with someone else, we were lost and discouraged. I felt Like Hagar in this story, lost in the wilderness with no destination, ready to give up.
But God searched for me and found me for a purpose.
Pastor Wes called me and asked if I would be interested in talking with him. Long story short, God sent me back home after providing me with comfort and guidance, just as he did with Hagar. Now, I will never tell you that you must go through a period of being lost before God will find you and give you purpose. But I do know that when we are experiencing times of wandering in the desert, God will, on purpose, seek you and find you. God is El-roi, the one who sees us. No matter where you are in life, whatever season or situation, God sees you and seeks you.
Prayer:
Loving God who sees, seeks, and finds, you know what I am going through the good and the bad. I ask that you would purposefully find me to give me your comfort and guidance. Help me to know you as Hagar knew you, as the God who sees me. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Justine