Worship

“He Made Me, He Loves Me” by Ben & Noelle Kilgore

Scripture

“‘Your slave is in your hands,’ Abram said. ‘Do with her whatever you think best.’ Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

“The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, ‘Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?’

“‘I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,’ she answered.

“Then the angel of the Lord told her, ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’ The angel added, ‘I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.’ …

“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’”  -Genesis 16:6-10, 13, emphasis added

“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. …

“The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.

“And the word of the Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’

“He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’

“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’

“The Lord said to him, ‘Go back the way you came … Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.’” -1 Kings 19:3-4a, 7-11a, 15a, 18, emphasis added

God’s Pursuing Love

Only God comes to find us in our hiddenness and reinstates us into our purpose: His very presence. Hagar needed to be seen in her pain and fear. Elijah needed to be seen in his pain and fear. They did nothing to pursue God in those moments, but He did everything to pursue them. (Is this not the whole story of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation?) And then He invites them to really know Him by a new name, His very presence, and the gift of encounter. How intimate and tender. Our running and rescuing God never stops.

These two beautiful stories have run side by side in my mind all week. Elijah knew God intimately, and Hagar only possibly knew Him culturally (I presume) from living with Abraham. Elijah lost sight of God, and Hagar never had sight of Him. But that didn’t deter Jesus in either case—He came and showed His tender love to them. The angel of the Lord is a theophany (a visible manifestation) of Jesus in both of these stories. Whether we hide in the caves or run into the desert in our pain or fear, He comes to give us an encounter with His love and His pursuit to reposition us in our identity and calling. He wanted them to know their purpose and how He saw them in the midst of their sheer terror.

I find several beautiful theologies about God in these two parallel stories.

• God’s grace is not a respecter of persons. He comes to prophets and slaves with the same pursuing love, rescue, blessing, and promises.
• When we run for our lives, Jesus runs after us with no limitations.
• He was El Roi (the God who sees me) to Hagar and showed this same name to Elijah when both of them hid in fear.
• Whether in a cave or in the wilderness, the pursuit of God knows no boundaries or limitations. His character is absolute and unchanging.
• Jesus didn’t come to them with the law and how they had lost sight of Him; He came with cords of loving kindness that drew them back to His presence.
• Encounters with Jesus’ course correct our hearts and destinies. Hagar and Elijah both needed a fresh vision with God first before they had a vision of what was next.
• An encounter with Jesus always results in promise and blessing. Hagar received the blessing of an entire nation of people who would come through Ishmael. Elijah received the promise of 6,000 prophets alongside his own calling.
• When He calls us to go back, we are armed with His presence and a promise of increase.

“Prophets are formed in caves, deserts, and the wilderness. If you’ve never been isolated, you haven’t been activated.” -Robby Dawkins

Finding God in the Wilderness

As much as we despise the “dark night of the soul” or the wilderness dwellings, they are preparation for our hearts to encounter Jesus and receive His promises and blessings. Hagar was shepherded by a stream in the desert. Elijah was put in a cleft in the rock—possibly the same one Moses stood in—in order to encounter the Lord as He passed by. Your Jesus isn’t passing by because He lives in you. But you better believe He’s by the streams, in the wilderness, inside the cave, and coming in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12). Sometimes, He will simply roar, and the enemy is scattered. But we hold onto the greatest truth: He is with us always to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

“The longer the wilderness, the longer the isolation, the longer the waiting—the longer and deeper the road is beneath you. Soon, they will see what you and Jesus have been building when there was no spotlight, no hurrah or fanfare, just worship, brokenness, and a yes.” -Nate Johnson, “The Wild Ones”

Sisters, no matter where you find yourself, you are seen, you are known, you are loved indescribably and without limitation. Receive these healing words for those of you in desert dwellings, disappointment, grief, or disillusionment. Just be still and let El Roi meet you and show you His love and compassion, His pursuit and rescue. You belong to Him—end of story. And into eternity He will never stop loving you. I’m finding after 42 years of walking with Jesus that He’s giving me deep, deep revelation of His love that is transforming my theology and my life. It’s not ever been based on my performance; He never wrote that script! How gloriously freeing is that? If the enemy has chased you into the desert, be still and let God fight for you and intercede for you. He died to do that for you! Let’s begin to shift our expectation that the wilderness is devoid of Jesus when in fact it can be the greatest place of transformation for us as it was for Elijah and Hagar.

Looking Forward

I bless you to receive the truth of these words, deep unto deep, in Jesus’ name.

Just a note of encouragement to those praying for Muslim friends or nations:

“We should also remember that angelic visitations, Jesus visitations, continue to this day among the descendants of Ishmael. The Angel of the LORD was not done visiting Ishmael.” -David Guzik

A Few Key Notes

• Join us for an eight-week course called “Our Identity: Releasing the Voice of War to Roar.” Christina McCracken and I will co-lead this course to help you understand your identity, authority, and inheritance. We will meet in person and over Zoom every Tuesday from 7-8:30 p.m. In-person attendees should arrive by 6:45 p.m. at 2001 W. Plano Parkway, Ste. 3000, Plano, TX 75075. Email me at [email protected] to RSVP.
• Join us for a time of prayer from 10-10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. We will hear from a sister working in one of the hardest to reach places and learn about her ministry. Email Allison Despres at [email protected] for a Zoom link.
• Save the date for an Arise luncheon on February 15! We will hear from prayer warrior and pastor Mary Jo Pierce. Join us from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at The Hope Center in Plano, Texas. Tickets are $10 per person for the in-person luncheon. Visit www.eastwest.org/ariseluncheon for in-person tickets or to register for the virtual option.
• Spark a movement within your friend group by hosting a table for you and six guests! Sponsorships are $150, and only 10 tables are available to sponsor. Visit www.eastwest.org/ariseluncheon to sponsor a table. Email Stacy Riddick at [email protected] for questions.