Dare to hope again

The biblical story of Abraham and Sarah is a long story. When you start talking about one episode, you end up trying to set the framework for that story, only to go back to a previous story and back to the beginning of God’s call to Abraham. 

That said, I was very taken this week by a particular chapter in the saga. Sarah’s slave girl, Hagar, had a son, Ishmael. Abraham was the father.

Ishmael was Abraham’s only son. When Sarah had her son, Isaac, she wanted Abraham to exile Hagar and Ishmael so that Ishmael wouldn’t share Abraham’s inheritance. “The matter was very distressing to Abraham,” but God promised him that Hagar and Ishmael would be taken care of. So he sent them off with a skin of water.

When the water in the skin was gone, [Hagar] cast 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, “Do not let me 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? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.

The well was there all along, but in her despair Hagar did not see it.
We care very much about Westbury UMC, and over the years we have occilated between hope and discouragement — even despair. Finally we focused on being faithful to our ministry, and enjoying our music and our friendships. We turned inward. You can only do so much. You’re just one person, after all.
But God’s Word says, “not so fast!” That well of water may be right under our feet. It might be all around us. God’s water of hope is all around us.
Recently Westbury broke 400 in combined worship for the first time in a couple of years (excluding Easter Sundays). We continue to hear positive comments about our music ministries. I think it’s fair to say that the implementation of the video element of our worship services, while still a work in progress, is a positive thing. We have new energy in the 8:30 praise team.
So pray for hope, and, as the Agape anthem says, trust in the Lord:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not upon your own understanding; trust him with all your heart. In every way acknowledge God. Fear the Lord and turn from evil. Honor the Lord with all you have. Be not wise in your eyes; do not reject the discipline of God, for he loves you. With all your heart, love him; honor him all your days. Trust him who loves you. God loves you. from Proverbs 3