When it Seems Hopeless

When my cat Frisky disappeared and we never found him, I was not sure my young ten year old heart would survive. It was not til many years later that I learned my Dad's asthma was horribly compromised by his allergies to cats, and he had suffered in silence all those years so I could have Frisky. He searched as ardently as we did for Frisky, but it was much better for his health that Frisky stayed lost. God sometimes works in mysterious and painful ways.

I think one of the best stories of hopelessness in the Bible is when Ishmael and his mother are sent away, out into the desert to die. I will paraphrase the story. Abraham is married to Sarah, and despite being an old old childless man, is promised by God to be the Father of many nations. Sarah, tired of waiting and not very faithful in believing God's rather outrageous statement, insists Abraham produce a child through her maidservant, Hagar. This would not fly in my house, I will tell you that right now, but back then, they did things differently. Well Hagar births Ishmael, and then Sarah finally bears the son of God's promise, Isaac. You can imagine her smacking her head and saying, "Why didn't I wait! Now what am I going to do with that Ishmael? What if he steals some of Isaac's nations?" The world was smaller then and there were not many nations to go around. So, in jealousy and in my opinion, self revulsion, Sarah sends Hagar and Ishmael away, where they wander in the desert and run out of food and water. Hagar sees that things are not looking rosy, knows they have no choice now but to die, and begins to sob after crying out to God. My circumstances have never been that dire, but I totally understand that feeling of utter despair. And to make it all worse, Ishmael, her beloved son, was seemingly dispensible . He was not the son of the Promise, and was the result of a sinful, impatient lack of faith. Hagar was rejected by man and God, she thought. There is not much left, except chocolate, but she was out of that too.

But then,

¹⁷ God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. ¹⁸ Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation."

¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

I know it doesn't always happen this way. People do die, people are turned away and discarded for no kind reason, and God's angels seem mysteriously silent in the face of suffering. Sometimes a beloved pet being lost leads to a Dad being able to breathe. We just can't know on this side of eternity why so much sorrow exists. But I believe God sends us stories like Ishmael to help shore us up and remind us that when hope seems dead, there is water in the desert. It is "living water" and a hope that transcends whatever wilderness we are lost in. I think He is trying to open our eyes by giving us the gift of thirst so we will see the Well that is flowing for all of us and long for it.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.