Chapter 4: 7
Conceit and its treatment

In accordance with the richness of His Grace, God did not abandon Hagar suffering from the disease of conceit and its bitter consequences. Although she was a gentile servant, God dealt with her and got her back from the track of disobedience and astray. In spite of the fact that she boasted, rebelled and left Abraham’s house, God didn’t abandon her nor let her harvest the outcome of what she planted; He did not leave her for the absurdity of her heart, but God’s angel showed up and met her to set her free from her conceit and pride saying to her: “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” (Genesis 16:9).

That’s how God deals with us when we stray because of our conceit and pride; He never abandons us, but He gets us back to him.
When Hagar has fallen victim of this disease, God has dealt with her in three main basic ways which apply to us as well:

First: God searches for Hagar and finds her
God’s angel has found Hagar near a spring in the desert; She was running away from her mistress Sarah, but God's great grace met with her and intercepted her way. From the verse “The angel of the LORD found Hagar” (Genesis 16:7), we know that he was searching for her.

That’s how gracefully the LORD, searches for everyone who loses peace and blessings, because of conceit and pride of the heart, like Hagar when she got lost after she left Abraham’s tent.

Hagar ran away towards the unknown where she met the Lord’s grace represented by His angel, who in fact is the Christ before coming in flesh and body.

The amazing point which puzzles the mind and surprises the heart and makes it bow is that the first appearance of God’s angel was to Hagar the gentile servant. This is to show us that His great love is to all nations and that He wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. Everyone who believes in Him will not perish as He promised: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)

That’s what the Lord does to us. He likened himself to the shepherd who looks for his lost sheep until He finds it saying: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it” (Luke 15:4, 5)

Dear reader: if you are passing through similar circumstances and feel that you’re suffering because of the wrong decisions you made in your life, do not give up, fail or resist, but trust and believe that God wants you and is looking for you.

He sees you even if you don’t see Him. He is close to you even if you feel He is Far. “He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:27, 28)

He searches for you wherever you are. He saw Nathanael under the tree “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." (John 1:48). He also saw Zacchaeus above the tree “Zacchaeus come down immediately. I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:5) and in the old times, God called Adam while he was behind the tree “Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9)

God sees you and is looking for you. Don’t run away from Him but, do the contrary, run to Him, for: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

Second: God speaks to Hagar
God spoke with Hagar and said:  “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going” (Genesis 16:8) God talked to her and called her by her name, for He knows her, her name, and her circumstances.
He also knows you, dear reader and He knows your circumstances, whereas other people around you don’t. He knows your name and talks to you personally, He is asking and inviting you personally now to come to Him to experience his Great redemption: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1)

He is calling you to experience the real rest, for he says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”( Matthew 11:28)
He talks to you using His daily care about you.
He talks to you deep in your heart: “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
He also interacts with through the Christian TV programs and meetings.
He communicates with you through his living word.
He speaks with you through sermons and also through spiritual booklets and leaflets.
He talks to you now through this text. Are you going to respond and answer his call?

I wish if you could bow your head and lift up your heart to Him saying: O Lord, You are looking for me and is speaking to me,  here I am, returning to you repentant and admitting my conceit and pride, Please Lord, help me and change me.

Third: God returns Hagar back
 ”Go back to your mistress and submit to her." (Genesis 16:9). God has declared to Hagar that the solution would not be by fleeing, disobedience and intransigence but by returning back and submitting, even if returning back to Sarah and Abraham’s house is difficult, but it is God’s will.

That’s what sometimes happens to us, when God reveals that the way out from our problems is by returning to Him with real repentance, but because of our pride and intransigence, we reject His adjustment to our life.

Dear reader, what would be your choice? Do you return to God repentant, or do you go astray with the wrong lead of your heart?
The solution is not to run away from God but to return to Him: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

When God conducted the order to Hagar to go back, she was close to Egypt, having the intention to return to Egypt as a solution to her problem. But dear reader, the remedy is not to return to Egypt but to return to God. So, do not try to escape but return to the Lord.

God’s words to Hagar were to return and submit to her mistress; and His words to you are: Return to the Lord and surrender to His will. Do not be stubborn and resist His will, just return to Him and submit to his dealings with you.

The real solution to the problem of the lost son started when he returned to himself and said: “How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men” (Luke 15:17-19)

Would you return back to the Lord and live a life of repentance? Would you submit to Him and accept the way He is dealing with you, with gratitude?

Magdy Samuel