Take Out the Stopper and Let It Flow!

This morning there were so many things going through my mind as I was watching the beautiful tribute given to Mrs. Jakes. It blessed me to see the love and appreciation shown. It was as their son-in-law started speaking that I heard something even stronger in my spirit.

Now don’t get me wrong, the message was good and I even asked God, ‘Why are you telling me this now?’ I’m trying to get a word of encouragement from this young minister. I need to hear from you, but can you let me hear this first. Yes, I have that kind of nerve. I felt like the word coming to me on the screen was something I needed to help me get through this season. But kept hearing let me talk to you about Hagar.

Then what happened almost made me fall off my bed. The young man went where God was telling me to go. He took us to Genesis 21:14-20 “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.”

Alright this make take me a little bit of time, but here we go. As the young man was preaching about how David gave God his heart, I thought about how I have been holding back some of my heart because I was feeling like what little bit of unbrokenness left, I needed to hold on to it. The best way for me to explain what happened was like a faucet being turned on, the flow is steady and filling the bowl. The problem is the bowl has reached its capacity and is starting to overflow. I hear - take out the stopper and let it flow. Oh I was nervous, but had to take a chance, so here is the stopper removed.

So, let’s talk about Hagar for just a moment. She is preached always from the prospective of Sarah, the wife. But what is never looked at is this woman who trusted her life to Sarah, was her servant. Hagar’s livelihood was dependent upon doing as she was instructed. She was more than likely often belittled, spoken down to and smacked a little bit.

A bond woman who knew little of the customs of Abraham and his tribe, but she was a good servant. She was obedient to the one who had rule over her. She did as she was told, not consulted with or even given a choice about. Sarah didn’t think about trusting God, because she was trying to move God’s plan forward. Here is the funny part God never asked Sarah for help, she took the promise into her own hands.

Basically, she threw a wrench into the progression of the promise. She was demanding another woman give of herself in one of the most intimate ways possible. Okay ‘Im going to get a little real here. Abraham, I’m sure treated Hagar with some respect in the beginning. I’m positive eventually some passion and lust developed. He must have enjoyed her company because their affair lasted for quite some time. But here is what is never talked about when a message comes from this passage of scripture.

Let me just say this. I’m a little perturbed with Sarah. I know Hagar got a little beside herself, but remember Abraham had to add some fuel to that fire she had. Okay, guess I’m going to have to tell a little bit on myself. There was a man from my past who found me years later. He told me he had left his wife, divorce in process. Over the years he had been thinking about me, then to find me again. I was YOUNG! No excuses, but I needed that flattery.

So, he had all the right things to say for me to let him in and even stay for a while. I loved this man, so I believed what he told me about the ex-wife. He treated me well, bought things for me and my son, even supplied my one addiction. He was there for me whenever I needed him, but what I didn’t know was sometime during that year he was also reconciling with his wife.

My point is this, even though Abraham loved Sarah, he had an emotional attachment with Hagar. Then to top it off she bore him a child, not just a child, but a son. Knowing what little I profess to know about men, I’m positive he was saying everything he could to keep Hagar willing to accept him. She took him at his words and his actions. There had to be some action or words that made Hagar react towards Sarah like she did. Just thinking, wasn’t there and Hagar didn’t tell.

See Hagar was a victim of someone else’s unfaithfulness and doubt, but she never wavered. Trusting to the end the man whom she shared the deepest parts of herself with. Not just because she was his slave, but somewhere in the agreement she became his mistress/lover. She knew all his faults, but her big mistake was thinking he would leave the woman he’d vowed to stay with. She was, in common vernacular, his side piece. She didn’t have a stake in his future directly. At least that isn’t what Sarah wanted.

Can you imagine this, being with someone who promises to take care of you and then they throw you out. What I admire most about Hagar is even when he was putting her and his son out, with the little he supplied her with for the journey, she was obedient and accepted the scrapes this man of God gave her. She allowed him to still get close enough to put something on her shoulder. Hold it, yes I said man of God, not GOD. Men of God disappoint and make errors too, right?

I can relate to Hagar on many levels, having walked a half a mile in her shoes. I didn’t need to walk the whole mile to have an understanding of how she felt. I can take it even deeper than a man making you a promise then throwing you out. How about that person being a parent, mother or father? Not being wanting by either of the people God chose to have you can do something so severe to a young mind, phew. If can do a throwback here, it is mind blowing!! It is amazing I have grown up and have children of my own. Here is the best part, thrown out not because of any real fault of your own or trivial reasons.

I know I use the word amazing a lot, but the Word is amazing. Amazingly, Abraham and Sarah had no idea the impact they had on Hagar. An act of desperation was the key to victory for Hagar. Not only in the end did Hagar win, but she received a blessing almost equal to Sarah. See, the fact of the matter is Hagar wasn’t wrong. Out of obedience following the lead of her master and mistress she ended up in a state of sin she had no knowledge of. Even without knowledge of all of God’s word she was in a position of obedience. Sarah knew when she put Hagar in the bed with her husband. Just like Abraham knew when he lied – another message.

Blessing number one out of the mess was she obtained her freedom. However, with her freedom came a burden; not of a widow, but a casted aside mistress with a child. I can relate to Hagar being alone, isolated with a young son to care for and running out of provisions. I know if it had been my old self I would say, Abraham would have had to sleep with one eye opened before he put me out like that.

How dare you give me a hope and then just snatch it away! Then kick me to the curb with a child and no support. Verse 14 “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.”

The thing that happens next is what thrills me about God!! Even though she didn’t know Him or how He worked. What she did know is her son was dying and she couldn’t bear to see it. She cried out to a God she didn’t know personally and had not really acknowledged a need for. Then Look what God did! “And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.”

Hallelujah, God sent her an Angel and salvation! What is awesome - God wanted to show Hagar by sending the Angel. Demonstrating that God is a promise keeper. Hagar was blessed by default. God trusted Abraham enough to promise him he would be the father of many nations. See God answered the cry of Ishmael, the seed of Abraham. But God heard her plea as well, didn’t He? She asked not to see her child die and God gave her provision to care for him until he became of age. Even if the promise was made to someone before you.  Even if that person before you missed it a few times. The promise has been made and God will keep it! Ishmael was a part of his seed with a purpose and a destiny.

The comfort which comes after submission and forgiveness is better than any material item. Soaked Sunday!  SMOOCHES~~