Tuesdays with Abraham

Read Genesis 21:17-20 – 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. Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. (NKJV)

Each of us should spend a whole day reflecting on God’s mercy in our lives. Indeed, God extends grace to us that is so far beyond anything we could ever deserve. In this part of Abraham’s story, he finds himself trapped in one of his mistakes. When he and Sarah struggled to trust God for their future son, they plotted their own heir and Ishmael was the result. But once God answered with Isaac, Ishmael was a liability around the house. Sarah wanted him (and his mother) gone, and Abraham was trapped between responsibility for this son and the promise of God now fulfilled. As Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away, God promises to care for the boy and gives him a strong future. Why? Because Abraham is deserving of this? No. God blesses Abraham’s Plan B because God is merciful and doesn’t discard us when we stumble.

– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.