"Beer Lahai Roi" : Well of the One Who Lives and Sees Me
When Hagar conceived, Sarah her mistress began to persecute her. When Hagar fled from the presence of her mistress, the Angel of the Lord met her by a spring of water in the wilderness on the way to Shur. The Angel of the Lord asked her to return to her mistress and to submit herself under her hand. Afterwards, the Angel of the Lord gave her promises that He would multiply her descendents exceedingly and that she would bear a son. Then Hagar called the Name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees” for she said, “Have I also here seen Him Who sees me”. Therefore, the well was called “Beer Lahai Roi”. This means, “Well of the One Who Lives and Sees Me” (Gen.16: 1-14).Hagar was blameless. However, it is Sarah, the wife of Abraham, the father of faith that was to blame. Sarah not only gave her maid Hagar to her husband to conceive a child but also dealt harshly with Hagar, despite the fact that Hagar served her mistress faithfully.
But the Lord did not forsake Hagar. Though Hagar was the bondwoman and Sarah was the mother of the son of the promise, the Lord did have compassion on Hagar. The Lord Who is rich in His mercies did not forsake Hagar just because Sarah was to give birth to Isaac in whom all the nations were to be blessed.
Sarah was self-centered and lacked in compassion for the maid who served her faithfully. Today, we may find in our midst some servants of God like Sarah who have, by faith, inherited the great promises of God from His Word but lack in compassion for others. They condemn and cast out the sheep under their care just because they do not submit to their leadership or their doctrines.
Do you find yourself in the position of Hagar today, having been condemned by your own people, for no fault of yours? There is a God Who lives and sees you. He has seen all your afflictions. Today He meets you by a spring of water in the wilderness. Oh, you have been in this wilderness for a long time. Lift up your eyes and see the spring of water there. Christ Jesus, your beloved Shepherd is standing there with His outstretched Hands to embrace you. It is only Christ Who gives you the Living Waters abundantly in this wilderness. Oh, He wanted you to reach this spring of water in your life. In this place, He gives you promises concerning restoration of the things lost by you. It is He Who has allowed all this persecution in your life. All things work together for your good only. He does not want you to flee from the place of persecution immediately.
Dear sister-in-Christ, your spouse may be likened to Sarah. God has allowed your husband to persecute you so that you could reach this spring of water in the wilderness and find your Shepherd there. God teaches us only in the school of suffering so that we may learn His Word in a practical manner. There is no other school to learn from Christ. Psalmist says in Psalm 119:71, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes”. Paul writes in Col.1: 23-24 “…. I Paul am made a minister; who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church”. As a member of His body, every one of us, without any exception, should fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh. According to Heb.5: 8-9, though Jesus was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered, and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.
You have to be in the school of sufferings until the Lord wants you to. Do not run from the school before time. God will bless you with a deliverance ministry once He brings you out of this school. He will fulfill His promises concerning restoration of the things lost by you once you step out of this school. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt you in due time.
- Job Anbalagan