And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect (Genesis 17:1, KJV)

Abraham, the father of faith, had a season of darkness in his life. The verse above says the Lord appeared to him when he was 99 years old. However, the verse preceding this verse, that is, the last verse of Genesis 16 says: “Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram” (Genesis 16:16, ESV).  There is no record of any encounters with God,  word from  God, etc, from the time Ismael was born until the verse above. Abraham was in the dark for 13 years. What happened?

When Abraham went to Egypt and  came out with an attachment he did not know would affect his life forever. A girl called Hagar , an Egyptian came out Egypt with him. Abraham was 85 years old and God’s promise for a child was not yet coming forth. Sarah asked him to get her maid Hagar pregnant so that they can have a child. They tried to make God’s promise come to pass in a fleshly way. From the time this child was born until Abraham was 99, he had no encounters with God.  A clue is given to us in what God told him in the verse above “ walk before me, and be thou perfect”.

Each time we step out of the Word of God, we are stepping out of light into darkness. Abraham did it once. We probably do this today even more often. There are people, decisions, steps or things we do that can plunge us in darkness in our relationships, spiritual lives, families, finances, etc. The good news is that we should not stay in that darkness once we realize ourselves.

Who or what is your Hagar? What is that thing or that person who plunged you into darkness the day they got into your life? Walk out of that darkness as you turn to God and walk in His Word.

MEDITATE

Is there a dark part in your life right now from Hagar?

APPLY THE WORD

Acknowledging the darkness and walking out of it into the light of walking with God is the key. His arms are always open to receive us no matter where we have been.

PRAY

Ask the Lord to help you avoid the darkness of Hagars in any part of your life. 

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