[T]he Lord has heard of your misery.
—Genesis 16:11
Hagar’s life had become intolerable, so she ran away. No money, no family, no place to go. Homeless.
It was hard to see anything good in this, but God assured Hagar that he would be with her, and she would get through it. He told her to name her soon-to-be-born son Ishmael [God hears] (Gn 16:11).
Hagar gave God a name too: El-roi, “the God who sees me.” (Gn 16:13)
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The good king Hezekiah’s health had gone south at age thirty-nine. “You are going to die; you will not recover,” the prophet Isaiah told him.
Hezekiah prayed and wept.
“I have heard your prayer and seen your tears,” God said (2 Kgs 20:5). And he added fifteen years to his life.
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God sees your problems. God hears your prayers.
Hang tough.
You’ll get through this.