Questions God Asks 07: “What’s Wrong?”

Sometimes things get out of control when you have exhausted your mental, emotional, and probably tangible resources. You have cracked your head and thought of a crash program to salvage the situation but things just worsen. At such times you long for external intervention, empathy, or even sympathy. 

A kind gesture from anyone means a lot. This includes those who can help and those who can’t help with the situation. However, it’s different when the person who comes inquiring “what’s wrong” can deal with the situation. 

Context

“God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What’s wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard the boy crying from the place where he is. Get up, help the boy up, and grasp his hand, for I will make him a great nation” (Genesis 21:17-18, CSB )

In our previous Question God Asks, “Where Have You Come From, And Where Are You Going?” we discovered that Hagar was on the run. She had misbehaved and found herself in an unfavourable position with Sarah. Sarah didn’t take her disrespect kindly and in response applied the unpopular approach leading her to flee (Genesis 16: 4-6). 

Stranded in the wilderness, God advised her to Go back and render obedience to her mistress, Sarai. 

Unfortunately, Hagar finds herself in the wilderness again, this time beyond her choice and wish. She must have done her best to behave herself, but sometimes things just can’t work out. Without declaring the details, her son Ishmael is said to be the agent of her mischief:

“But Sarah saw the son mocking—the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham. So she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave with her son, for the son of this slave will not be a coheir with my son Isaac!” (Genesis 21:9-10, CSB)

While she is trying to work out things and get everything right, the very storm she has been avoiding erupts, and she is in the wilderness again. Though Abraham loved his son, Ishmael, this step was done and dusted.  

With a gift of bread and a bottle of water, Hagar finds herself on the path to the wilderness of Beer-sheba. With such a meagre provision, exacerbated by the unfavourable conditions of the desert, being in want was inevitable. As expected, they soon ran out of provision and unless something happened, death was ready to update his registry. 

All children believe in their parents. They always believe that their mothers will always pull out another card to save the situation. Unfortunately for her, Hagar had reached her limit. There was nothing else she could do. Her only comfort was to escape the torture of seeing her child die. 

The Bible paints it in the most pitiable fashion:

“When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes  and went and sat at a distance, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I can’t bear to watch the boy die!” While she sat at a distance, she wept loudly” (Genesis 21:15-16, CSB)

Indeed, few things are as heartbreaking as witnessing a mother at her wit’s end. When she struggles to keep her child alive. 

At this point, dejection is at its best. Hagar resorts to granting her son the most honourable send-off she can afford. This send-off is graced by her absence. It is then that God steps in and asks, “What’s wrong, Hagar?”

Without giving her a chance to pour her heart out, there follows beautiful words, the wonderful words of life. The divine messenger proceeded, “Don’t be afraid, for God has heard the boy crying from the place where he is. Get up, help the boy up, and grasp his hand, for I will make him a great nation” (Genesis 21:17-18). 

And because God had stepped in, solutions must come just when they are needed the most.  God opened her eyes, and she saw a well. So she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy a drink (Genesis 21:19). 

Life Application

There are circumstances or situations that life throws our way that we can’t do anything to change. They leave us drained and at the end of our wits. Trying to think of a solution makes the situation worse. Eventually, we end up in an unfortunate place where failure, loss, or even death, must come sooner or later. 

I will call that a wilderness of Beer-sheba experience. 

At such moments we crave empathy and attention. But we need more than that. We need solutions or assurance that there is another way out. 

How beautiful to know that God hears our cries at such times. He comes and asks the question,  “What’s wrong?” But He will not wait for us to start narrating everything because our tears is a language He understands. He comes with the provision we need to achieve strength for today, an assurance that provides bright hope for tomorrow. 

Something stands out in the case of Hagar: God opened her eyes and she saw a well. It is not that the well was not there, but her eyes were the problem. She was beclouded with tears and her predicament was that she couldn’t see God’s provision that was already around her.

As we pray for the things we need to come out of our wilderness of Beer-sheba experience, we need to ask God to open our eyes. We need to see the wells He has provided to help us refill our water bottles. 

Conclusion

Just when you think all is lost and things are about to get out of control, God is usually getting ready to step in. He comes asking the question, “What is wrong?” You will do well to tell Him the truth. If you lack words to express yourself, just remember tears are a language that God understands.

When things are thick and dark, look to the one who put your pieces back together. That one who brings peace and joy to your troubled mind again.