Ears to Hear

Then Sarai mistreated Hagar so much that she ran away from her. The Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. He said, "Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?"
She replied, "I am running away from my mistress Sarai."
Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, "You must go back to your mistress and submit to her mistreatment." The Angel of the Lord also said to her, "I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be many to count." Genesis 16:6-9

I wonder did Hagar willingly have sex with Abram? She had scorned her mistress when she became pregnant. She was mistreated because of her behaviour to her mistress.

The Angel of the Lord said, "I will bless you." I wonder if this was the Lord Himself. Usually when an angel visits he says, "The Lord will bless you."

Hagar needed to change her attitude to Sarai rather than run away. God's provision was there for her and her child at this time.

Have you ever scorned anyone? We very easily become too big for our boots, as the saying goes. It reveals our pride and it stinks. It's stench gets up the nostrils of those we scorn and they do not appreciate it and retaliate. Not good! We cannot then turn around and claim mistreatment when we asked for it.

This evening I am in Brisbane caring for 5 little people, my son and his wife are having a night away. Little people very easily scorn and strut. Perhaps it is the child in us that does so. When this happens an adult has to step in and teach correct behaviour. The Angel of the Lord was doing precisely that.

We don't often have an Angel of the Lord visit but instead the Holy Spirit, who is resident, chides gently. I love His ways. Amen! Have ears to hear!