Hi friends! We are finishing up our look at Hagar’s story. If you missed part one and two, you can find them below:

You can find Part One here.

You can find Part Two here.

Have you ever had a job, or a boss, that was just awful?

I’m sure we could all exchange horror stories about our awful job experiences! Sometimes we just can’t seem to get away from that job and have to do our best to stick it out. My husband endured four long years at a job until the Lord finally found him work elsewhere. Oh, he vented a lot while he worked there but he hung on and I believe God worked in him through that job.

Looking at this third part of Hagar’s story (Talk about a bad work situation!) got me to thinking about all of us who might be feeling the need to run from our work, our responsibilities, and hard things that we don’t want to face. We’ve looked at what made Hagar run (the mistreatment by her mistress, Sarah) and how God met her and gave her notice.

When God Shows Up

There are a few things to point out in this portion of the story:

-When Hagar ran, God allowed her to run. He didn’t stop her as she left. Often times, God will allow us to do a bit of running, a bit of wandering, before He moves in.

-He then asks her a question, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” (Genesis 16:6) We can assume this question was asked with compassion. It wasn’t the question of an angry schoolteacher catching her cut class. Hagar answers and admits she is running away from her mistress. Then God gives her instructions:

Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” Genesis 16:9

Can’t you just hear the “But that’s not fair!” that Hagar was about to respond with? I know that’s what would have been on my lips! But, the Bible is quick to tell us that before Hagar could respond, she is given a promise.

I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” Genesis 16:10

Go Back and Deal With It

I struggled with why God would send her back. It was in reading from Matthew Henry’s commentary that I realized Hagar was in the wrong for running away. It sounds obvious maybe, depending on how you look at the situation. She was mistreated so she was justified in running away or she was in the wrong for running because she was running from her work and from, for lack of a better word, her husband.

God desires that we fulfill the work we are to do and fulfill our roles as employee and as spouse. Our doing what is right is not dependent on whether others are doing right. Sarah and Abraham were in the wrong in how they dealt with Hagar, but that is what God would have to work on them about. It was Hagar’s job to obey what God was now telling her to do. He gave her two instructions: 1) Go back to your mistress. 2) Submit to her. Essentially, she is to go back and deal with it.

Like, what?!

But, this is where it was Hagar’s opportunity to shine. It is implied that she didn’t grumble about going back. She does take the promise from the Lord for a safe delivery of a son with her (v. 11). She is changed from the meeting with the Lord and encouraged that He sees her and notices her. He would not forget her either. So she is to go back and epitomize Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  I’m sure it was really difficult to go back. Just imagine walking through that tent door! But, she did it because God told her to.

There are so many difficult things that it can be so easy to run from! (This is in no way referring to any abusive situation. There are some situations that we would be wise to leave. We are talking about the every day issues that we all tend to have come into our lives.) I know I tend to put things off or run from them and hope God is not going to make me deal with them, but ultimately He does. Or I suffer the consequence of my procrastination and my unwillingness to deal!  God wants us to be able to face our problems head on, accept His promise of help to get through them, and have the right attitude while dealing with them.

Friends, is there something you’ve been putting off doing because it’s going to be really difficult to get through? Something that needs to be faced in your work or your home rather than run from? Facing these issues and getting through them can be difficult or uncomfortable but they can be done! Sometimes moving forward can only be accomplished by going back-back to face these situations so that we can go from there. Only you can decide to go through it, put it off, or deal with it. I encourage us all (’cause I totally need this too!) to seek God, remember what He’s done in the past, and cling to His promises. You got this!