Mother’s Continue to Walk in Love

Celebrating a Mother’s Love

Heard and Delivered

Genesis 21:8 The baby grew and was weaned. Abraham threw a big party on the day Isaac was weaned. 9–10 One day Sarah saw the son that Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, poking fun at her son Isaac. She told Abraham, “Get rid of this slave woman and her son. No child of this slave is going to share inheritance with my son Isaac!” 11–13 The matter gave great pain to Abraham—after all, Ishmael was his son. But God spoke to Abraham, “Don’t feel badly about the boy and your maid. Do whatever Sarah tells you. Your descendants will come through Isaac. Regarding your maid’s son, be assured that I’ll also develop a great nation from him—he’s your son, too.” 14–16 Abraham got up early the next morning, got some food together and a canteen of water for Hagar, put them on her back and sent her away with the child. She wandered off into the desert of Beer-sheba. When the water was gone, she left the child under a shrub and went off, fifty yards or so. She said, “I can’t watch my son die.” As she sat, she broke into sobs. 17–18 Meanwhile, God heard the boy crying. The angel of God called from Heaven to Hagar, “What’s wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid. God has heard the boy and knows the fix he’s in. Up now; go get the boy. Hold him tight. I’m going to make of him a great nation.” 19 Just then God opened her eyes. She looked. She saw a well of water. She went to it and filled her canteen and gave the boy a long, cool drink. 20–21 God was on the boy’s side as he grew up. He lived out in the desert and became a skilled archer. He lived in the Paran wilderness. And his mother got him a wife from Egypt.

Hagar’s story in Genesis 21 is a powerful account of a mother’s resilience, heartbreak, and divine intervention. As a mother, Hagar faced immense challenges, yet her journey reveals God’s care for those who feel abandoned.

A quick backdrop on the story:

At 75 the Lord spoke to Abraham and to him to leave his homeland. The covenant God established with Abraham was that he would be the father of many.  It seemed as though time was running out and Sarah became to take matters into her own hands.  So she sent Hagar into Abraham and Hagar conceived a son.  It is believed that Abraham was approximately 86 when Ishmeal was born.  

What did Sarah’s interference do?

Sarah didn’t take into account the emotional strain she was placing on herself. Sarah had been unable to conceive for years, so seeing Hagar succeed in this role likely increased her frustration. Emotional Struggles –  We can bring unnecessary struggles on ourselves, if we would only wait on God’s timing.

It interfered with the social status between Sarah and Hagar.  Prior to Sarah sending the handmaiden in Sarah had authority over Hagar, but after Hagar conceived, Hagar may have felt elevated in importance. Social Status & Power – Now Hagar may have begun to feel more powerful because she was able to give Abraham his 1st son. Is sarah feeling that hagar is stepping out of her lane?  

Now Watch this Sarah is believed to believe in the same God as her husband Abraham. God the father. Hagar an Egyptian believed in many Gods.

An angel found Hagar in the wilderness, reassuring her and sending her back to Sarah, showing God's involvement in their situation. Divine Intervention – God Hears Hagar as she’s in the wilderness.  Let’s remember Sarah put Hagar in this situation and sarah can’t deal with the outcomes.

Later, after Isaac was born, the conflict deepened. Sarah saw Ishmael as a threat to Isaac's inheritance and demanded that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away.

Hagar’s Struggle as a Mother

Forced Departure – After Isaac was born, Sarah demanded that Abraham send Hagar and her son, Ishmael, away. This left Hagar as a single mother, wandering in the wilderness with no resources.

Desperation in the Desert – With their water supply gone, Hagar placed Ishmael under a bush, unable to bear watching him suffer. She cried out in despair, feeling utterly helpless.

God’s Intervention – In her darkest moment, God heard Ishmael’s cries and sent an angel to comfort Hagar. She was reminded that God sees her and that Ishmael would grow into a great nation.

A Mother’s Hope Restored – God opened Hagar’s eyes to a well of water, providing for her and Ishmael’s survival. She found renewed strength, knowing that God had a plan for her son.

Lessons from Hagar’s Story

Hagar’s experience speaks to mothers who feel alone, rejected, or uncertain about their children’s future. Her story reminds us that:

God sees and hears the cries of both mother and child.

Provision comes even in the most desperate situations.

A mother’s love and endurance can shape a child’s destiny.

I am sure with the mothers sitting in the audience today, you can share testimonies of not only feeling abandoned but have been abandoned. 

These abandonments can begin at birth

Relationships that don’t work out the way you envisioned them

Before Sarah (then Sarai) chose Hagar to bear a child for Abraham, their relationship was likely one of mistress and servant. Hagar was an Egyptian maidservant to Sarah, and in that cultural context, she would have been expected to obey Sarah’s wishes.

However, after Hagar became pregnant with Ishmael, tensions arose. The Bible describes Hagar as looking down on Sarah, which led to Sarah treating her harshly. This suggests that their relationship may have been relatively stable before the arrangement, but it quickly deteriorated afterward.

The relationship between Hagar and Sarah became strained after Hagar conceived Ishmael. Initially, Hagar was Sarah’s servant, likely fulfilling her duties without conflict. However, once she became pregnant, the Bible says she began to "despise" Sarah (Genesis 16:4). This shift led Sarah to retaliate by mistreating Hagar, causing her to flee into the wilderness.

There are layers to their dynamic:

Hagar’s Struggle as a Mother

Forced Departure – After Isaac was born, Sarah demanded that Abraham send Hagar and her son, Ishmael, away. This left Hagar as a single mother, wandering in the wilderness with no resources.

Desperation in the Desert – With their water supply gone, Hagar placed Ishmael under a bush, unable to bear watching him suffer. She cried out in despair, feeling utterly helpless.

God’s Intervention – In her darkest moment, God heard Ishmael’s cries and sent an angel to comfort Hagar. She was reminded that God sees her and that Ishmael would grow into a great nation.

A Mother’s Hope Restored – God opened Hagar’s eyes to a well of water, providing for her and Ishmael’s survival. She found renewed strength, knowing that God had a plan for her son.

Lessons from Hagar’s Story

Hagar’s experience speaks to mothers who feel alone, rejected, or uncertain about their children’s future. Her story reminds us that:

God sees and hears the cries of both mother and child.

Provision comes even in the most desperate situations.

A mother’s love and endurance can shape a child’s destiny.

A Love that Runs Deep

I am a firm believer women that we are essential to the change that must take place in the world today to restore stability, and help change the way humans behave. Why do I believe that I believe that because God has given us the natural ability to be nurturers. Even in hardship/trials and tribulations we overcome. Even when you were walking through the situation, you couldn’t see your way through, there was that somehting within that said I’ve got to make it. I am going to figure a way out. Whether or not you thought you would ever get that low or you never thought the answer was right at your fingertips. You survived and made it THROUGH. And a lot of times during that time you held it down not only for yourself, but for the entire family, children, husband, significant other. You can give yourself a pat on the back right there. What motivates you to keep loving when it looks like all hope is gone, everyone says you’re crazy for hanging in there? I choose to believe that’s it’s the nuturing nature of a woman that goes into action. Sometimes we become labeled as a busy body, always trying to fix everything. And yes,