Finding Hope When You’re Tired of Waiting
Sometimes in life, waiting can feel unbearable. We set our hearts on something—a dream, a promise, a change—and when it doesn’t happen as quickly as we hope, we get restless. Maybe we even try to “help things along” with our own plans. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In fact, people have been doing this for thousands of years. Just look at the story of Sarai (later called Sarah), Abram (Abraham), and Hagar from the Bible.
Sarai and Abram were promised by God that they would have children, but as time passed and nothing happened, Sarai felt hopeless. She took matters into her own hands, telling Abram to have a child with her servant, Hagar. Abram agreed, and soon Hagar was pregnant. But this “shortcut” only led to more trouble: jealousy, anger, and hurt feelings all around. Sarai blamed Abram, and he basically told her to deal with it herself. Sarai then treated Hagar so harshly that Hagar ran away into the desert.
At this low point, something amazing happened. God saw Hagar’s pain. An angel spoke to her and promised that her son, Ishmael, would have many descendants. Hagar realized that God truly saw her and cared about her situation. She called Him “El Roi,” which means “the God who sees me.”
This story has such a valuable lesson for us. When we get impatient and try to force our own solutions, it usually doesn’t work out the way we hope. But even when we mess things up, God doesn’t forget us. Just as He saw and cared for Hagar in the desert, He also sees each of us—our struggles, our hurt, and our hopes.
Later, God kept His original promise to Sarah and Abraham. Even though they were very old, Sarah gave birth to a son named Isaac, and through him came many nations. God’s timing wasn’t what they expected, but it was better than anything they could have planned themselves.
So if you’re in a season of waiting—maybe you feel like God doesn’t hear your prayers, or life isn’t going the way you want—remember Hagar’s words. God is El Roi. He sees you, He cares, and He has a plan that is better than anything you could put together on your own.
Take heart, keep hoping, and trust that God is working, even when you can’t see it. “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” (Psalm 130:5)
Abundant blessings to you.
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