Listening in the midst of fear.

Reading: Genesis 20-21, Acts 7, and Matthew 2

Scripture: Genesis 21:17, And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.

Thoughts: When looking at that timeline of when Ishmael and Abraham were circumcised and when Isaac was born and weaned it is most likely that Ishmael would have been about 16-17 years old when Abraham at request of Sarah cast him and his mother out. Not sure how it would have come about but the word says she “let me not look on the death of the child” when he would have been a young man and would have been raised in sojourning life and known something about survival. He apparently had some of his father’s faith that he was heard by God. Even in the midst of possible death and despair they reached out to God and listened to him. Are we listening to God even when we are in a place of fear?

Prayer: Father you are the so wonderful, the joy and peace you bring, the leading and guiding you give us even when we struggle to hear or listen to you. I thank you for the refining you are doing in my life, the molding of me into the man, leader, and father you have called me to be. I thank you for the gift of my family the joy and struggles that come from it. I thank you for the people in my life that continually point me back to you. I thank you for the provisions and blessings you give us to steward and use to point to you. I ask that you help open my eyes to your directions and leadings every day.