He Hears

Remember the maid that Sarah sent in to her husband who bore a son?  Now Sarah wants her banished.

Genesis 21 says, God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.”

I’m amazed at God’s mercy and love, and we are learning SO much about prayer in this first book of the Bible.

God likes to initiate it.  He hears our cries.  He sees our screw-ups.  He still loves us and wants to bless us.

The little boy born of the maid was crying, and God heard him and his mother.

It wasn’t the little boy’s fault that he was born and sent away.  And the maid had only done what was instructed of her by her mistress, Sarah.  But now here she was with a little boy, a single mom, being sent away without a prayer.

But wait, just the crying out was heard by God.

Not only did God hear, but he gave a promise to this little boy that a great nation would come from him.

Sometimes, we think because of our situation, our own mistakes, or just our place and lot in life, that we don’t fit in, good things are not in store for us, and that God doesn’t even really see us.

Not so.

Cry out to him.  He hears every cry.  And he answers.