Dealing with Life's Disappointments

Open: On June 4, 2019, Noa Pothoven, a 17 year old in the Netherlands died.  She had requested Euthanasia and under the law was granted access.  She chose to die, however, on her own initiative.   In her last post on Instagram, we were told that she had written that she had stopped eating and drinking because her suffering was unbearable. "I breathe but no longer live,” she said.  What incurable and terminal illness was Noa suffering from?  None.  She had been raped, which itself is a horrible and traumatic experience, but not an experience that should have resulted in her death.  The acceptance and normalization of the Culture of Death prompted her to take this path.

Transition: This tragedy highlights our society’s mechanism for dealing with hardship and difficult situations. Thankfully most do not take the path of suicide, but this sad story captures our desire to find a way to escape from troubling circumstances. God has a Better way and we are going to look at His way in today’s text: Genesis 16:7-16.

When faced with hardships we have a tendency to run away (Genesis 16:5b)

Explanation: One result of Sarai’s disastrous shortcut was Hagar’s change of attitude. When she became pregnant with Abram’s child, Hagar developed a superior attitude and began to despise her mistress Sarai. Sarai confronted Abram about the situation, and Abram gave Sarai a free hand towards Hagar. Sarai immediately began to mistreat Hagar and things got so bad that Hagar ran away into the wilderness.

Illustrate: Andy & Chasity - their marriage lasted less than a year. When things got difficult, Chasity left. That was her pattern because that is what her mother did and what her grandmother did.

Argument: It is easy to give in to despair. We can look at our circumstances and believe that things will never get better. We can slide into hopelessness fairly easily when confronted with problems for which we have no solution. We want our situation fixed! And when it isn’t, we want to run away and escape.

Application: Do not make hasty decisions. We live in a fallen world and we WILL encounter difficulties. Some of our own making, but some will not be our fault. The point is that we CAN check our tendency to cut and run as a first option.

God’s answer is often for us to Return to our situation and be submissive (Gen 16:7-9)

Explanation: Hagar is a pregnant runaway, alone in the wilderness. She has no plan, believes she has no purpose, and considers her situation to be hopeless. She was probably expecting to die as she faced a dark and uncaring world. But God … The text informs us that the Angel of the LORD ‘found’ her by the well in the wilderness and that changed the entire course of her life!

NOTE: The AOL is a pre-incarnate manifestation of Jesus as He is equated with God (v. 13). As God, the AOL knew exactly where Hagar was all the time. The AOL ‘heard’ Hagar’s cry of affliction (v.11) and He saw her need (v. 13)

The AOL asks Hagar two (2) very important questions. He asks 1) Where have you come from? and 2) Where are you going? The text informs us that Hagar answered the first question, but not the second. She couldn’t answer Q2 because she didn’t have a plan - she just ran! (This is the same response Elijah had after his mountain-top experience and subsequent low point [death threat from Jezebel] and he ran as well. God asked Elijah the same question - see 1 Kings 19:9 &13)

Hagar does give an answer to Q1 and she tells the AOL that she is running away because of the unfairness of her situation and the harsh treatment she was getting from Sarai.

The AOL’s response is informative. Not the answer we expect in 21st century America! Hagar has just played the “victim card” and instead of validating her feelings and her situation, the AOL bypasses that and tells her to go back to Sarai and to submit to her!

Time to get a new therapist! God, did you not hear what I said? I am being mistreated - this is unfair! and I don’t like it, not one little bit, and I expect You to fix this!

Argument: While God has the ability and the Authority to change our circumstances, that is not His normal pattern. Instead, He reminds us that He is sufficient to meet all of our needs, even in our afflictions (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Application: Choose to embrace the God of your Circumstances. Pray and ask the LORD for wisdom in how to be a witness where you are. Choose to glorify His Name. Be like Timothy who obeyed Paul when he chose to “abide still at Ephesus” (1 Timothy 1:3)

Mature in your faith journey as you experience more of the God who called you (Genesis 16:13-15)

Explanation: The AOL informed Hagar that she would have a son and that her son would have countless descendants. God made a promise to Abram concerning his descendents and Hagar’s child would enter into a part of that promise because Abram was the father. This is a specific promise to Hagar in terms of her son, but the principle is valid for all believers - God hears us and has a plan for us.

Argument: Hagar knew about God through her service as Sarai’s maid. She had been with the family for several years at this point and she would have known about God’s revelation and promise to Abram. It was in her personal difficulties, however, that Hagar came to know the LORD in a new and deeper way. In her despair and hopelessness Hagar cried out to God and He answered her. She came to know that He IS the God who hears and sees (vv. 13-15)

Illustrate: Jesus as the WayMaker

Application: None of us want to go through hard times; none of us go out and seek trials and tribulations. When they come to us (and they WILL come) we have an opportunity to know God’s faithfulness in new and profound ways. Remain open to a maturing of your faith and embrace the goodness of God as He works in your life through the brokenness.