This sermon centers on the biblical story of Hagar and Ishmael from Genesis 21, focusing on God’s faithfulness during life transitions. The pastor uses Hagar’s experience of being sent into the wilderness to illustrate how God sees us, goes with us, and provides for us even in unfamiliar and difficult circumstances. The message emphasizes that God’s vision is not limited by location and that He travels with His children wherever they go. The sermon was delivered in honor of a student named Maddie who was transitioning from the ministry to move to Florida, serving as a practical application of trusting God through major life changes.
Heavenly Father, we come before You today with open hearts and minds. Just as You saw Hagar in the wilderness and heard the cries of Ishmael, we know that You see each one of us in this group today. Lord, we ask that You would open our eyes to see what You want us to learn from Your Word. Help us to be receptive to Your voice and to encourage one another as we discuss how You work in our lives during times of transition and uncertainty. Prepare our hearts to receive what You have for us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
What’s one place you’ve moved to or visited that felt completely unfamiliar at first, but eventually became comfortable?
This week, identify one area of your life where you’re facing uncertainty or transition. Each day, spend time in prayer asking God to open your eyes to see His provision and presence in that situation. Look for the ‘wells of water’ – the resources, people, or opportunities He has already placed around you that you might not have noticed.
Lord, we thank You for the reminder that You are El Roi – the God who sees us. As we leave this discussion today, help us to remember that no matter where life takes us, You go before us, beside us, and behind us. When we face unfamiliar territory or difficult transitions, remind us to cry out ‘Lord, give me you’ and trust that You will provide exactly what we need. Open our eyes to see the wells of provision You have already prepared for us. Help us to be encouragers to others who are walking through their own wilderness seasons. We trust You with our futures and thank You for Your faithful presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
When Life Gets Hard, It’s Still Worth It
DevotionalLife has a way of throwing us curveballs when we least expect them. Maybe you’re facing a job loss, a relationship ending, or a health scare. Perhaps you’re starting college, moving to a new city, or navigating parenthood for the first time. These transitions can feel overwhelming and scary. Hagar knew this feeling all too well. Cast out into the wilderness with her young son Ishmael, she faced an uncertain future with limited resources. The desert stretched endlessly before them, and hope seemed as scarce as water. Yet in this story, we discover a beautiful truth about God’s character and His heart for us during difficult seasons. Transitions are rarely easy, but they don’t have to break us. When we feel lost in our own wilderness experiences, we can remember that God specializes in meeting us exactly where we are. He doesn’t wait for us to have it all figured out or for our circumstances to improve. He shows up in the mess, in the uncertainty, in the fear. The key is recognizing that hard doesn’t mean hopeless. When we invite God into our struggles and put forth effort while trusting His guidance, even the most challenging seasons can become worth it. Not because the pain disappears, but because God transforms our perspective and reveals His faithfulness in ways we never expected. Your current transition might feel impossible, but remember that God sees you in this moment. He hasn’t forgotten about you, and He certainly hasn’t abandoned you to figure things out alone.
Bible Verse
‘And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.”‘ – Genesis 21:17
Reflection Question
What transition or difficult season are you currently facing, and how might God be inviting you to trust Him in this unfamiliar place?
Quote There’s some things that you’re going to go through in your life, some transitions that’s going to happen in your life, whether you like it or not. And it may be hard to you, but when you put forth the effort, when you put forth God, putting them in front of you, then it becomes what? Worth it?
Prayer
Lord, help me to see that even when life gets hard, You are still with me. Give me strength to put forth effort while trusting in Your guidance. Show me that this difficult season can become worth it when I walk through it with You. Amen.
The God Who Hears Every Cry
DevotionalHave you ever felt like your prayers were bouncing off the ceiling? Like God was too busy with bigger problems to notice your struggles? Hagar might have felt the same way as she watched her son Ishmael crying from thirst in the desert. As a servant, she may have wondered if God cared about someone like her. But here’s what’s beautiful about this story: God heard the boy crying. Not just the mother’s desperate prayers, but the child’s voice. This reveals something incredible about God’s heart – He doesn’t have a hierarchy of whose voices matter more. He hears the CEO and the janitor, the parent and the child, the popular and the overlooked. Age doesn’t disqualify us from God’s attention. Whether you’re seven or seventy, your voice matters to Him. Your struggles, fears, and hopes are not too small for His concern. The same God who numbers the stars knows the number of tears you’ve cried. This truth should encourage every parent, teacher, and mentor reading this. The children in your life – whether biological, adopted, or those you influence – have direct access to God’s ear. Their prayers don’t need to go through you first. God hears them directly and personally. If you’re feeling unheard today, remember Ishmael’s story. God heard a child’s cry in the wilderness, and He hears yours too. Your voice matters. Your situation matters. You matter to Him.
Bible Verse
‘And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.”‘ – Genesis 21:17
Reflection Question
When have you felt unheard or overlooked, and how does knowing that God hears every cry – including yours – change your perspective on prayer?
Quote God not only hear parents, adults, God Hears our kids.
Prayer
Father, thank You that You hear every cry, every whisper, every desperate plea. Help me remember that my voice matters to You, regardless of my age or status. Give me confidence to come to You with everything on my heart. Amen.
El Roi: The God Who Sees You
DevotionalIn our social media age, it’s easy to feel invisible despite being constantly connected. We can have hundreds of followers yet feel completely unseen. We can be surrounded by people yet feel utterly alone. Hagar understood this feeling of invisibility, but her encounter with God gave her a name for Him that would change everything: El Roi – the God who sees me. Notice the personal nature of this name. Not “the God who sees us” in general, but “the God who sees me” specifically. This isn’t about God’s general awareness of humanity; it’s about His intimate, personal attention to you as an individual. He sees your unique struggles, your specific dreams, your particular fears. God’s vision isn’t limited by your location or circumstances. Whether you’re in a palace or a desert, a boardroom or a bedroom, His eyes follow His children. You might feel lost in the crowd, forgotten in your small town, or overlooked in your family, but God’s gaze never leaves you. This personal attention from God should transform how we see ourselves and our circumstances. When we feel invisible to others, we can remember that we are fully seen by the One who matters most. When we feel forgotten, we can rest in the truth that God knows exactly where we are and what we need. The wilderness wasn’t a place of abandonment for Hagar; it became a place of encounter with the God who sees. Your difficult season might feel like abandonment, but it could be the very place where you encounter El Roi in a deeper way than ever before.
Bible Verse
‘Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?”‘ – Genesis 16:13
Reflection Question
In what areas of your life do you feel unseen or overlooked, and how might recognizing God as El Roi – the God who sees you personally – bring comfort and confidence?
Quote Hagar’s name God. Elroy. Elroy means God who sees me, not the God who sees us, God who sees me.
Prayer
El Roi, thank You that You see me personally and intimately. When I feel invisible to others, remind me that I am fully known and seen by You. Help me find my identity in Your loving gaze rather than in others’ recognition. Amen.
God’s Provision in Unexpected Places
DevotionalSometimes we’re so focused on our problems that we miss God’s provision right in front of us. Hagar was dying of thirst in the desert, watching her son fade away, when God opened her eyes to see a well of water. The amazing thing? The well was already there. She just couldn’t see it because her situation had clouded her vision. How often do we do the same thing? We become so overwhelmed by our circumstances that we miss the resources, opportunities, and blessings God has already placed around us. We pray for provision while standing next to the very thing we need, unable to see it through our tears of desperation. God doesn’t need perfect conditions to provide for us. He doesn’t require comfortable surroundings or ideal circumstances to bless us. In fact, some of His greatest provisions come in the most unexpected places – in the wilderness, in the storm, in the valley. He specializes in providing what we need, where we least expect it, when we need it most. This should give us tremendous hope during difficult seasons. When we can’t see a way forward, when resources seem scarce, when solutions feel impossible, we can ask God to open our eyes. The provision we need might already be there, waiting for us to recognize it. Maybe it’s a skill you didn’t know you had, a relationship you hadn’t considered, an opportunity you overlooked, or strength you didn’t realize was available. God’s provision often comes disguised as ordinary things in extraordinary moments.
Bible Verse
‘Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.’ – Genesis 21:19
Reflection Question
What provision or resource might God have already placed in your life that you haven’t recognized yet, and how can you ask Him to open your eyes to see it?
Quote The well was already there. She just couldn’t see it because of her situation. She just couldn’t see it because of her problems.
Prayer
Lord, open my eyes to see Your provision that already surrounds me. Help me not to be so focused on my problems that I miss Your blessings. Give me wisdom to recognize the resources You’ve placed in my path. Amen.
God Shifts With You
DevotionalChange is one of life’s few constants, yet it never seems to get easier. Just when we get comfortable, life shifts again. New job, new city, new relationship status, new health challenges, new responsibilities. It can feel exhausting to constantly adapt and readjust. But here’s the beautiful truth from Hagar’s story: even when life shifts, God shifts with you. He doesn’t stay behind in your old season, nostalgic for the way things used to be. He doesn’t go ahead and wait impatiently for you to catch up. He travels with you, goes ahead of you, and surrounds you in every transition. What feels unfamiliar to you is not unfamiliar to God. He’s already been where you’re going. He’s already made preparations for your new season. The same God who saw Hagar in her familiar life as a servant also saw her in the unfamiliar wilderness as a single mother. His care didn’t diminish when her circumstances changed. This means you can face your new season with confidence – not confidence in your own ability to navigate change, but confidence that God is already ahead of you. He sees you, He knows who you are, and He will provide for you in your unfamiliar places. What seems foreign and frightening today will become familiar tomorrow because of His presence with you. The new job will feel natural, the new city will feel like home, the new role will fit like a glove – not because change is easy, but because God makes all things work together for your good.
Bible Verse
‘So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.’ – Genesis 21:20
Reflection Question
What new season or change are you facing, and how does knowing that God shifts with you rather than staying behind give you confidence for the future?
Quote Even when life shifts, God shifts with you.
Prayer
Father, thank You that You don’t abandon me when life changes. Help me trust that You are already ahead of me in my new season, preparing the way. Give me confidence that what feels unfamiliar now will become familiar because of Your presence with me. Amen.
