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. Genesis 21:19
This verse comes from the story of Hagar in the wilderness with her son after she had been sent away by Abram. She wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba with only some bread and a bottle of water until it was gone. When the water was gone she left her son under a bush and walked away some distance because she did not want to witness the death of her baby there in the wilderness. She wept; was without hope with no one to help. At least she must have thought she was without hope and there was no one to help. But God. He heard the baby crying out and spoke a word to Hagar and opened her eyes to see...that even in the place where death to her and her son was certain, it wasn't over yet. Read the story in Genesis 21 from Hagar's prospective. I know that her son was not and is not the promise God made to Abraham. Period. But read the story from Hagar's prospective. She was a mother with a son that was said to have been possibly 14 years of age at the time of Isaac's birth. Life must have been great and looking very promising for Hagar and Ismael until they were sent away into the wilderness. I can only imagine what Hagar must have been thinking at that very moment she made the decision to leave her son behind because witnessing his death was too much for her to bare. But just when it seems it was all about to come to an end, God speaks a word to her and opens her eyes to see that basically, her son, her world, is not dead yet. In fact, He tells her, you and your baby (your dream, your ministry, your marriage, your business etc.) isn't going to die, but it will live, and it will thrive, and it will become great. Wow...what a powerful story and it should be a great encouragement to you if you see yourself in the story today. I believe God is saying to you this morning, "Don't throw your baby away because I have provided living water for you and your baby!" I believe He is saying, "Choose life today and live because I have come into your life and into your wilderness experience that you might have life and life abundantly, but you have to open your eyes. You have to open the eyes of your heart to see that I have provided a way for you!" But when God speaks a word to us directly, or through His Word, or through a person, we must purpose in our hearts to open our eyes to see and then we must get up and act upon that word.
Job says it so beautifully in his wilderness experience in Job 14:7-9:
For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that is will sprout again, and that its tender shoots will not cease, though its root may grow old in the earth, and it's stump may die in the ground, yet at the scent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant.
Do you see? Job didn't just think this up himself. No! God opened his eyes to see and then Job acts upon it by saying that he was not giving up on believing God.
Job 14:14 - If a mans dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes. Job now knows that God was not going to leave him the way he was. Job drank the living water God provided in the word Job saw and heard when his eyes were opened by God. We all know how it ended for Job. God blessed him and he became great.
Now I want to say that I just noticed something about this post as I am typing it out. The number 14 is mentioned three times. Once in Ismael being about 14 years old and Job 14:14. Three representing God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, I believe the 14 have some meaning for us.
The prophetic meaning of 14 is: Passover, deliverance, salvation, double anointing
Think God is trying to say something to us this morning? Don't give up, help is on the way. This wilderness experience has come, but it has not come to stay. It will pass over you, you will be delivered and receive salvation. In the end, you will better than you were in the beginning as Job and Hagar were.
Decide today to Open Your Eyes and see what the Lord is saying about your situation.
Receive this blessing today:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Amen.
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