«And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, «What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is» (Genesis 21:17).
The second person that God said «Do not be afraid» to is a single mother from a foreign land, who had been abandoned and lacked the means to provide for herself. So many women in our world today fit this description!
Hagar and her son were kicked out of their home, left without work, ousted from their family, and their social and religious circles. This pain, separation, and abandonment could have been avoided if Abraham had consulted God. Much of the anguish, separation, and deprivation we suffer from today are the consequences of obstinate decisions made in the past.
God did not abandon Hagar; he heard the cries of her son: «The Hebrew word here translated as ‘voice’ may mean either audible or inarticulate words uttered in prayer or in despair, or may refer to his groaning and heavy breathing. . . Whatever it was, God heard him and sent His angel to Hagar with words of encouragement and a remedy for the lad’s pain.»—SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 346.
God does not only listen to the cries of those who are obedient. Every individual is invaluable in His eyes. Not only does He listen to audible prayers, but also to the soul-wrenching cries of an anguished heart. Besides providing water to Hagar, He made her a promise (see Genesis 21:18). Not even the desires of our heart are hidden from God’s ear.
There is a promise for you as well. God hears your cries and those of your children. Though He knows your past, your present, and your future, He loves to hear from you. What’s going on in your life today? Tell God about it. It doesn’t matter to Him how many times you have fallen. Rise up and tell Him about your fears, your anxiety, and your doubts. God wants to hear your version and says to you: «Daughter of mine, do not be afraid.»
God is never too busy. What worries you so is also concerning to Him. When you cross a «desert» in your life, whether it is a desert of illness, of unemployment, of being alone in life, or of mourning due to a separation or a loss, a desert of immigration, or that the very church turns its back on you, God is still there, ready to hear you and to respond to your pleas. Even if you are responsible for the suffering you are experiencing, God hears you, He comforts you, He strengthens you, and He shows you a new fountain of living water. Though pain and tears may have kept you from seeing it sooner, it may be close by, as in Hagar’s case.
www.meditacionesdiarias.com
https://twitter.com/meditacionesdi1
http://www.instagram.com/meditacionesdiarias7
Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023
“DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid
From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
