A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos

Today’s Bible Verse

Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.

Genesis 21:10

From Slavery to Freedom

Sarah had deposited all of her trust in Hagar. However, Hagar did not know how to value it and she allowed her view of herself to change. Sarah always behaved as a true mother. Every word that came from Hagar’s mouth to Sarah was as the cry of a daughter and not the complaint of a slave. Sarah, in turn, leaned on Hagar; she appreciated her so much that she chose her to have a baby with her husband, Abraham. But when Hagar discovered that she was pregnant her heart went astray and she was never the same again. She knew that she was to have a child and began to act as if she was at the same level as Sarah. In this way, her attitude towards Sarah changed for the worse. Later on, she was filled with the fear of losing her child, because of her behavior. She lost all of the privileges that God had reserved for her within the home of Abraham and Sarah, to such degree that the Lord had to tell Abraham to throw her and her child out. Hagar can be seen here as a ‘type’ or representation of ungratefulness and disloyalty. All of the affection that she expressed towards her mistress, Sarah, was simply “lip service” because in the depths of her heart Hagar envied all that Sarah had. She thought that by having Ishmael she could win over Abraham.

While Sarah believed in Hagar, Hagar completely misjudged Sarah. In the end, the same thing happened to Hagar as happened to Ananias and Sapphira. These two promised an offering to God and when the money was in their hands they decided to keep a part of it and give an incomplete offering. Likewise, Hagar had promised Sarah that she would give her son; she had accepted that the child would become Sarah’s fruit. But she allowed Satan to fill her mind with ‘arguments’. Somewhere during the pregnancy her mind had changed. The same thing happens with certain people who decide to work under the covering of a ministry. When they see their fruit developing they change their minds about to whom the fruit really belongs. It is a regrettable reaction of the fleshly nature that clouds their understanding. They easily forget what was done for them by those in leadership. They allow wrong patterns of thinking from their past to come in and take hold. In their own minds they also justify themselves and hide behind this as a means of self-protection. These thought patterns become like walls so that others do not detect the truth behind the appearance.

Abraham was going through a very difficult time in His life, since Sarah, his wife had made a determined decision in her heart. She did not want to continue to live with the ungrateful servant under her roof. She prompted her husband to throw her and her son out. Abraham thought that he could not do that because the young man was of his own blood. However, God spoke to him. “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” (Genesis 21:12). Solomon said, ”The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down” (Proverbs 14:1). God has entrusted each woman with the great privilege of building up descendants for him. For this reason the Lord told Abraham to listen to his wife Sarah in everything she said. The Lord did it because of there would have been constant conflict their home. God was protecting the lineage of Israel through Sarah’s prophetic word.

Something to Think About

I had a very close relationship with my mother. I believe that when she lost her first daughter she poured out all of her love onto me. She was my refuge, my friend, and my confidant. She was the only one who encouraged me to go on. Above all, she greatly believed in me. One day, she had to undergo minor surgery that was to last 15 to 20 minutes. As I said my goodbyes, I never thought this would be the end of her life but it was. Her departure caused me great pain, deep in my soul. I felt and confessed that half of me had died. My life stopped having meaning. I lived with a constant void and a deep wound in my heart. In spite of the pain I was not able to cry. I was not able to express what I felt because I did not want my family to feel sorry for me, especially my father who was very sad. During the days that my mother was in a coma, I prayed the Lord’s Prayer many times. However, a resignation came over me that it was God’s will.

As the years went by, I always remembered her and inside of me a great sadness remained. I longed for her love, her care, her attention, and her touch. She always said, “There will never be anything else like the love of a mother.” One day at a re-encounter, a pastor who was preaching in that moment asked for those that had to “forgive God” for something to come up to the front. This really caught my attention, since I never thought that I was harboring un-forgiveness towards God. Nevertheless, as I went up to the front and opened my lips and said that I “forgave Him” for having taken my mother, the tears from all those years welled up and began to flow. As I poured my heart out, I felt that it was beginning to heal. When I got up from my knees, my heart was no longer empty because God had filled it with His love. In fact, from what I experienced I know that there is a love greater than that of a mother. It is God’s love. He is my refuge, my friend, my confidant, He always encourages me and He does believe in me! (Olga Hidalgo)

Prayer

Dear God, today I raise my voice before You with happiness because there is joy and gladness in my heart. You are God. You are my inspiration and You are worthy to be praised. You pulled each one of us from the shadows and made us a part of Your family. You broke the yoke of slavery and sat us at Your table so that we may enjoy Your greatest delights. I love You and I am thankful to You, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Declaration

God adopted me as His child and I enjoy His abundant blessing.

Today’s Bible Reading

• Old Testament: Jonah 1-4; Job 34:1-20
• New Testament: John 18:1-18; Revelation 10