Heard

 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
Genesis 21:17 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.21.17.ESV

Spiritually, Isaac was the child of promise; and Ishmael the child of the flesh. Yet this doesn't mean to say that God didn't care for Ishmael and his mother, the servant Hagar. In fact, 'the' angel or messenger of God as opposed to 'an' angel, is often interpreted to be a pre-incarnate visitation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God hears the cries of the anguished, and He cares. He doesn't want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to faith in Him. Ishmael wasn't going to perish in the wilderness: he was going to become a great nation.

There's something heavenly about a mother's care for her child. Hagar clearly loved Ishmael deeply, and couldn't bear to see him die. Thankfully, God heard their cries.

God isn't just Someone who sees us in terms of where we're at. He also graciously hears us and responds. May we ever live to glorify the One who gave Himself for us!

'Gracious Lord, thank You for hearing and responding to our cries. Please help us acknowledge You in our lives. In Christ's name, amen'

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