"THE GOD WHO CARES!"

Written and preached by David P. Nolte


GENESIS 16:1-13


Max Lucado tells the wonderful story of a sad and sick little boy who got to go to Cinderella's castle at Disneyland. There were many children there and suddenly all but the little boy rushed to one side of the castle. Cinderella had entered. Cinderella. The princess. A gorgeous young girl with every hair in place, flawless skin, a beaming smile. She stood waist-deep in a garden of children, each wanting to touch and to be touched. On the opposite side of the castle stood the 7 year old boy. He was dwarfed in height, disfigured in body and deformed in face. He stood watching, quietly, wistfully, holding the hand of his older brother. Do you know what he wanted? He wanted to be in with the other children reaching out to touch Cinderella, and being touched by her. Can you feel his fear? Fear of being rejected? Of being overlooked? He reminds me of Hagar. She'd felt all alone and overlooked. She had come under the disfavor of Sarai and had been cast out of the home. Now she was a castaway in the wilderness, alone, abandoned, afraid. In this passage we see a life experience with which we could all probably identify. We are often like that little boy and like Hagar
  1. HAGAR WAS IN GREAT DISTRESS: VV6, 7:
    1. She had been an object to use for the benefit of her mistress, Sarai. She was a tool to be manipulated and then discarded. Sarai had turned against her in a fit of jealousy.
      1. Hagar was used and abused.
      2. Hagar was exploited and exiled.
      3. Hagar was alienated and afraid.
    2. What a trying time in her life! She was pregnant. She was homeless. She was unemployed. What could she do? Where could she go? In that time and culture, there was no welfare, no unemployment insurance, no shelter for women! As a single woman, an outcast slave, the options didn't glow bright.
      1. She might be reduced to prostitution.
      2. She might resort to begging.
      3. She might sell herself into slavery again to another master.
    3. Have you ever felt like Hagar? Is there a sense of kinship with her?
      1. You've arrived at a dead-end street with no way of turning back.
      2. You look down the tunnel and there is no ray of light at the end.
      3. You've lost your security, your well being has been dashed, and your hope shattered.
      4. You feel that everything is against you and you've nobody to whom to turn.
      5. Those you trusted betrayed and failed you.
    4. Welcome to the distress channel! Hagar must have felt all those things, too. And so did the little boy.
I think that little boy must have felt as desolate as Hagar did. He had no hope or clue that Cinderella would notice him or, if she did, that she would care about him. Wouldn't it be great if, in this story, Cinderella did see the little boy? Wouldn't it be great if she'd call him over to her? And touch him? He hd no hope of that. But, suddenly, Cinderella looked over in his direction. She saw him. She smiled at him. He felt warm all over in the light of that smile. Cinderella had noticed him. So, how do you think Hagar felt when she sat in the wilderness, alone? How do you think she felt when God approached her? She heard a voice, "Hagar, Sarai's maid." Someone spoke to her, called her by name, knew where she was and who she was. Hagar was in distress, but God looked her way and approached.
  1. GOD SAW HAGAR IN HER DIFFICULTY: VV7, 8:
    1. He actually paid attention to her! She was not beyond His sight, or too insignificant for His concern! He is the God Who sees!
    2. Note what the Bible says about God's keen notice and observance:
      1. "For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths." Proverbs 5:21.
      2. "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good." Proverbs 15:3.
      3. "Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!' Nathanael said to Him, 'How do You know me?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.'" John 1:47-48.
    3. Do you think you are too sinful, too small, too insignificant to be noticed by God? Do you think you are beyond His sight? Do you think He doesn't observe, know, realize, understand? Never in 10,000 years! You may be out of His will, but you are never out of His sight and concern! The Psalmist was amazed by that tremendous truth and wrote:
      1. "When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him? Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, And dost crown him with glory and majesty!"Psalms 8:3-5.
      2. "Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Thy hand will lead me, And Thy right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,' Even the darkness is not dark to Thee, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to Thee." Psalms 139:7-12.
    4. Hagar was cast out, was separated from home and security, but not separated from God and His security! If we have faith, if we trust, nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus; He sees, He knows, He cares! He saw Hagar, and He sees you!
The little boy, standing off to the side with his brother, caught the eye of Cinderella; She began walking his way, inching her way through a sea of children. She knelt at his level. She looked into his eyes. He was stunned. And she kissed his cheek. He could hardly believe that Cinderella had singled him out and had actually kissed his cheek! He felt nine feet tall and as handsome as Prince Charming! After blessing that little boy, she rose slowly and walked away. She took her beauty with her, the boy was still deformed, still ill, but something had happened inside his heart. He no longer felt alone, overlooked, pushed away and forgotten. He no longer felt ugly and unwanted. He had been loved for that moment. And so was Hagar. Hated by her mistress, cared for by God.
  1. GOD BLESSED HAGAR IN HER DISCOURAGEMENT: 8-10
    1. First, he spoke to her! He called her name! He spoke kindly to her!
      1. The God of the universe spoke through His angel to this rejected piece of dust.
      2. He knew her name! It was not "Hey! You!" It was "Hagar!"
      3. He took the initiative. He did not wait for her to cry out to Him, He called out. He did not wait for her to seek Him, He sought.
    2. Second, He gave her a command with a promise
      1. He commanded her to live in the situation from which she came even if it was unpleasant!
        1. Sometimes we, too, must endure what is while we wait patiently for what will be.
        2. Sometimes we have to submit to undesirable situations to be faithful to the Lord!
      2. He promised her that her descendants would be numerous. Take a look at the Arab nations today for the fulfillment of that promise.
        1. God's promises are always contingent upon our obedience.
        2. When we do what He says, just because He said it, without argument, rationalization, excuse or delay, He will bless us today!
    3. So, what discourages you today? Where do you need His help?
      1. Is it your job? Do you need one? Do you hate the one you have? Jesus has a blessing there for you if you are faithful.
      2. Is it your marriage? Jesus will bless you if you remain faithful.
      3. Is it some injustice you are suffering? Jesus knows all about injustice and tells you to trust Him. He will bless you.
      4. Is it in finances? Jesus promised to provide all your needs if you are faithful.
      5. Is it some sickness, affliction or suffering of mind or body? The Great Physician of body and soul says to cast all your cares on Him since He cares for you.
    4. When you are at the end of your wits, at the end of your rope, at the end of your hope, at the end of your resource, at the end of your strength, wonderful!! Because then, you have just come to the beginning of God! He may not change our situation or circumstances or solve all our problems, but
      1. He has promised to be with us in and through and in spite of hard things.
      2. He will have the final word! Discouragement and distress will not write the last chapter.
      3. He will bless if we are faithful and obedient.
      4. He will come to us in our discouragement and bless us soon
Cinderella came to give that timid little boy a kiss on the cheek. She changed his inlook and his outlook. She stayed just a moment and left. Jesus comes to give more than a kiss on the cheek. He comes to give His infinite love. He comes, not to stay but a fleeting moment, but to abide for all of life and eternity. He came not just to give a visit, but to give His life. Cinderella had no power to change the boy's fate, but she made him stand tall and straight for that moment. Jesus has the power to change lives for now and forever. He can take the wrecked and wretched and make them worthy. He can take the twisted and torn and make them totally whole. He can take the ruined and ravaged and renew it. Where are you today? God sees you. God calls your name. God has a blessing for you. Not because you deserve it, but because you need it. You need Jesus, and He's only a step of faith away. He'll come and save you, if you believe. What marvelous compassion! What great mercy! What supreme sympathy! What amazing grace!

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