When you are thrown out ...

The couple, Abraham and Sarah, are seen as the parents of Israel. And they were right at 100 when their child was born. Sarah had a boy, and because she laughed when an angel-messenger of God told them she would have a child at their age, the angel-messenger said, 'You will name him "Isaac" which, by the way, means "laughter"'!

The birth of Isaac is good, but right now my mind goes to his older half-brother born by Abraham and Sarah's servant named Hagar. You see, in those days it was common for a wife who could not have a child to allow her husband her female servant to conceive so that there will be an heir. So it occured and Hagar gave Abraham an heir called Ishmael.

Later Isaac was born and at that point Sarah put her foot down and said to Abraham, "Get rid of Ishmael". After that God spoke to Abraham in a dream telling him that all would end up fine even with Hagar and Ishmael if he did so. And so Abraham sent them away and so it was written in Genesis:

God was with the boy (Ishmael), and he grew up;

he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow.

He lived in the wilderness of Paran;

and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

(Genesis 21:20-21)

It helps for me to remember Hagar and Ishmael when things don't look so good, and so I invite you to remember Hagar and Ishmael when your times are rough.

God provide for them and so he continues to do so.