"Now you have conceived and shall bear a son;
you shall call him Ishmael,*
for the Lord has given heed to your affliction."
Genesis 16:11
Observation: When the Lord comes to Hagar, he comforts her and gives her instructions to return to Sarai. But he also gives her unborn son a name, and that name* means "God hears". The Lord himself says he has heard her affliction, and has come to her. Hagar will in turn give God the name "El Roi" - God sees me - completing the sensory-based theme that, in Hagar's time of need, God absolutely paid attention and responded.
Application: I have before discovered how much I associate with Hagar. I have claimed the word of God that he sees me and has seen me in times of distress. Combined with the name Ishmael, there is a deeper promise here. God completely pays attention to me.
In a day and age where SO many people are yearning to "be seen" and "be heard", we see God promises that he does exactly that! Today, young people are seeking to fill that seen/heard void in their life through social media likes, viral video trends, texting rules of etiquette, and empty physical interactions. They feel unloved when they are "unseen" or "not heard" based on the definition of how technology platforms define being seen and heard. However, God promises that he sees and hears everyone, from pregnant foreign slaves, to his most beloved worshipper, to me.
Prayer: Lord, today I claim your promise, that you are paying attention to me, and to everyone else. You see me. You hear me. You love me. I claim that for myself, and moreover and pray that for millions of others, that they may discover and learn and claim this same promise. Amen.
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