It seems like my life has become dry and lifeless.
I am not sure why I am in this situation.
I am hoping this doesn’t last for a long time.
I can’t feel God.
How can I get out of this?
While going through a wilderness situation, we often desire to get out of it. But is it possible that there are lessons God want us to teach while in the wilderness?
Hagar in Genesis 16 found herself in the desert. It wasn’t her fault that she was now a single mom. She felt abandoned, dismissed, and broken.
If you feel this way, there are a few takeaways I want us to learn from this narrative in Genesis 16.
1. God’s goodness far outweighs our personal brokenness.
It’s interesting that while in the desert, God still blessed Hagar. He promised that from her will come multitudes. God blesses her son exceedingly as Genesis 17:20 declares.
If you feel in a situation of brokenness, remember, God is still good. And He is still God.
2. Sometimes, it is in the arid wilderness that we find our genuine healing.
She was in a very difficult situation. But it was in the wilderness that she encountered God. Real and genuine healing comes as we meet God in the secret place; maybe even in the desert.
If you are in a dry, arid place today, never limit what God can do in those situations. He is a God who restores.
3. The most important thing to remember is that while we are in the wilderness, we are never alone.
Hagar experienced that. She understood what it meant to be abandoned by her master. But she also experienced what it meant to be near God. El Roi, the God who sees, revealed Himself to her.
French writer, Paul Claudel said, “Christ did not come to do away with suffering; He did not come to explain it; He came to fill it with His presence.”
May we encounter El Roi, the God who sees, even while we are in the wilderness. For truly, He doesn’t just see. He also cares for His children.
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