Mensa Otabil - A Sense of Direction
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Genesis chapter 16, verse 8: "And he said,'Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?' And she said,'I'm fleeing from the presence of my mistress, Sarai.'"
Hagar was a victim of circumstances. If you know her story, she was a maid to Abraham's wife, Sarah. At this time, her name is Sarai, but we'll use Sarah. Sarah and Abraham didn't have a child, and by their own arrangement, they thought that Hagar could facilitate their desire for a child. It wasn't the smartest decision, but it was implemented. Hagar becomes pregnant, and then everything goes wrong with the plan. You know, there are times you have a plan, you think this is the best plan, and then it starts unfolding, and you say, "Uh-oh, it's the worst plan I've ever made."
So, that's what happens. Sarah begins to mistreat Hagar, and she mistreats her so badly that Hagar runs away from home. She's a pregnant woman who runs away from home, and she lands in the wilderness, almost about to lose her life. In the wilderness, the angel of the Lord appears to her or comes to her and asks her the question, "Hagar, where are you going?" That's a good question for each one of us. You get up in the morning, go through all your rituals and chores, and rush out of the house-where are you going? You're moving, making calls, doing all kinds of things, traveling by air, engaging in various activities. Where are you going? It's very possible to move without going anywhere.
There are a lot of people moving frantically, in a frenzy, but going nowhere. At the end of the day, you just feel like you've worked and worked and worked, but you don't even know where you' re going or what you've achieved. Hagar's answer to the angel was very interesting; she had no clue where she was going. She knew where she had fled from, but she had no clue where she was going. She just said, "I have fled from my mistress, Sarah." It's not "whom did you flee from?" but "where are you going?" She knew what was making her run: frustration and anger. She's been mistreated and is running, but she has no sense of where she's going.
That's a very important instruction for us-that being angry is not enough for you to move in a direction. It can get you moving, but you may lose your way. Sometimes we are led by frustration or bad treatment. Somebody didn't treat you well, somebody didn't help you, somebody dislikes you, and so you say, "I'm leaving! I'm leaving this job! I'm not going to be here again!" But where are you going? It's not enough just to flee; where are you going? That's the question that Hagar couldn't answer. In the end, the angel tells Hagar, "Go back to where you're running away from."
There will come a time when you can move with a clear sense of direction, but at this time, this kind of movement, where anger and frustration is making you run without a direction, can land you from frying pan to fire. So the question I'm also asking you today is, where are you going with all your business? Where are you going? I pray that God will give you direction, not only to be active and energetic but that God will help you to have a clear sense of direction with your vision.
Let's share a word of prayer together. Say with me, "Heavenly Father, I know that your eyes are always on me. Help me not to make rash decisions in my life. In Jesus' name, amen and amen."