Recognizing God’s Provision For You (a lesson from a despairing woman)

5:07

Are there moments in your life where you feel exiled—like you've been pushed into a wilderness you never expected? Maybe you lost your job, a relationship ended, or a sudden life circumstance left you feeling abandoned and desperate. If you've ever felt like that, you're not alone. Hagar, a woman in the Bible, found herself in a similar situation, wandering in the desert, thinking she and her son were going to die. But God saw her, and He provided exactly what she needed. Let's take a look at her story and how it applies to our own lives.

Hagar’s Wilderness Experience

Hagar was an Egyptian servant to Sarah, Abraham’s wife. When Sarah couldn’t conceive, she gave Hagar to Abraham as a concubine, and Hagar bore him a son, Ishmael. At first, Hagar may have felt seen, valued, and even important—after all, she was carrying Abraham’s offspring! But all of that changed when Sarah conceived and gave birth to Isaac. Tensions rose, leading to Hagar and Ishmael being cast out into the wilderness with only a meager supply of bread and water.

Genesis 21:15-19 (ESV) tells us what happened next:

"When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, ‘Let me not look on the death of the child.’ And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.’ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink."

The well was there all along—Hagar just couldn’t see it until God opened her eyes.

God’s Provision Is Often Already There

How often do we get so caught up in our distress that we fail to see the provision God has already placed before us? Like Hagar, we can become so focused on the problem that we miss the answer sitting right in front of us. Maybe the job opportunity, the supportive community, or the next step you need to take is already there—you just need to have your eyes opened to it.

God is always at work, even in the wilderness seasons of our lives. His provision may not come in the way we expect, but it is always exactly what we need.

Jesus: The Living Water

Hagar’s story points to a greater truth. While we need physical water to survive, we all need something much deeper—living water. This is exactly what Jesus spoke about when He met the Samaritan woman at the well.

We read about it in John 4:13-14 (ESV):

"Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’"

Jesus is our well in the wilderness. In seasons of dryness, uncertainty, and fear, He calls us to drink deeply from Him.

Seek First the Kingdom

God knows what you need. He hasn’t forgotten you. The answer to our wilderness moments is not just a change in circumstances—it’s a change in focus. Like we read in Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV), in seeking Him first, we can experience the reality that everything else falls into place:

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

When we focus on seeking God first, He takes care of the rest.

Practical Steps to Seeing God’s Provision

If you’re in a season where you feel abandoned or unsure of what’s next, here are some practical steps to help you rest in God’s provision:

Pray for Spiritual Sight – Ask God to open your eyes to see His provision. Ephesians 1:18 talks about having "the eyes of your hearts enlightened."
Trust in His Promises – Stand on the truth that God is faithful. He provided for Hagar, and He will provide for you.
Seek First His Kingdom – Prioritize your relationship with God above everything else, and trust that He will take care of the rest.
Stay Expectant – Sometimes, God’s provision comes in unexpected ways. Keep looking for how He is working in your life.

God Sees You and Provides

Hagar’s story reminds us that no matter how lost, abandoned, or hopeless we feel, God sees us. He hears our cries, and His provision is often closer than we think. Jesus is the living water that quenches our deepest thirsts; and when we seek Him, He meets our needs in ways beyond what we could ever imagine.

Today, if you’re wandering in a wilderness season, lift your eyes. Be encouraged, remembering that God will provide for you.