Genesis 21:11–21

And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 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. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Hagar forgot the promises made the last time she was out in the wilderness.

The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude. … He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” — Genesis 16:10, 12

How could Hagar forget something that profound? We know that she understood what the angel said because she obeyed and returned and submitted to Sarah. Besides, how could anyone forget anything the angel of the LORD said?

Never underestimate the power of depression. Hagar’s encounter with the angel of the LORD should have given her bullet-proof faith. Yet, here she seems totally faithless.

This is another facet of our inconsistency. When we’re dysfunctional, our faith fails too.

Depression is a curious beast. It distorts everything. Do you know people who are sinking into despair? Ask God to clear their broken attitude and let them see joy.

And give them a call. Depressed people need friends. Without anyone to talk to, they just sit and stew. A friend showing up can have almost as much impact as an angel. This is part of the point of James 1:27.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. — James 1:27

Never forget that it’s all about glorifying God. Visiting people who need a visit does that in spades.

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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays' by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community

The weekly study guides, which include questions for discussion or meditation, are here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

All Scripture taken from the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.