Good morning and welcome another morning to Bally Baptist Church and to our thought for today. If you tuned in to last Tuesday's message, then you will know that I have commenced a series looking at some of the wells that we find in scripture to see what lessons we can learn from them. And last week we commenced with well number one, as found in Genesis chapter 16, and we read the story of Hagar, a runaway slave girl. Today, we leapfrog forward about 17 or 18 years to come to well number two. And today's story will also involve Hagar. But in those intervening years, much had happened. Hagar had returned as God had instructed her to and had submitted herself to Sarah. She had also given birth to Abraham's son, Ishmael, when Abraham was 86 years of age. And I think for about 13 years, Sarah and Abraham probably congratulated themselves quietly on how well their plan had succeeded. After all, Abraham now had a son, just as God had promised. They looked at the result and assumed that must have been how God intended it to be. but God did not need their so-called help to fulfill his promise, and certainly he would not have stood so low as to use the methods employed by Abraham and Sarah. There's a danger that we can make the same mistake when we seek to do some service for God. Very often we too judge the things of God by the outcomes. It all seems to have worked out, so God must be happy with what he did. Hudson Taylor said, done in God's way will never lack God's supply. We should always remember when we seek to do a work for God that it must be done in a way in his way to honour him and to be sure of his blessing on our efforts. When Abraham was 99 years old God told him that Sarah would have a son who was to be called Isaac and God would establish his everlasting covenant with Isaac. And when Abraham was 100 years old, Isaac was born. And it's very likely that Ishmael's nose was put out of joint because while he was Abraham's only son, he probably expected to inherit everything that belonged to Abraham. And neither was Isaac. His frustration came to the boil when Isaac was weaned, probably about his second or third birthday. and Abraham made a great feast to celebrate the occasion and Sarah saw Ishmael mocking Isaac Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away and although Abraham was reluctant to do that God told him to go ahead and he promised that he would bless Ishmael because he was Abraham's son The Apostle Paul uses this story in his letter to the Galatians when he contrasts the position of those who seek to earn salvation through works with that of those who are justified by faith. In Galatians 4 and 30, Paul quotes from Genesis here when he says, nevertheless, what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son. for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman so then brethren we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free and as the Lord says in John chapter 8 verse 36 if the son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed but now let's get to the well as we read it from verse 15 Abraham provided Hagar and Ishmael with supplies and sent them away as God had told him and in verse 15 we read and the water was spent in the bottle and she cast the child under one of the shrubs and she went and sat down over against him a good way off as it were a bow shot for she said let me not see the death of the child and she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What ill of thee, Hagar? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand, for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and she went and filled the bottle with water and gave the lad drink and God was with the lad it seems that Hagar and Ishmael as they journeyed away from Abraham had got lost and wandered in the wilderness until they had used up their water supply and then with the heat and their thirst their strength gave out in despair Hagar places Ishmael in the shade of a bush and then goes and sits down some distance from him, so as not to watch him die. Totally overwhelmed, she broke down in tears. Circumstances looked so bleak and everything looked to be against them, and their situation appeared to be absolutely hopeless. In her despair, all the promises that God had given about Ishmael seemed to be empty, and Hagar was so far gone and so convinced their situation was hopeless, that there was no mention of her praying but in the depths of her crisis the Lord calls to her from heaven reminding her once again of the promise to make Ishmael a great nation and then he opens her eyes and she sees a well of water that well had been there all along but Hagar had been so distraught she had not seen it that can happen to us as well On occasions, the problems and difficulties we encounter in life can overwhelm us, and we lose our confidence in God's faithfulness and in the promises he has given us. All we can see are the dangers all around. We too may find it hard, if not impossible, to pray, and that's when we need the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ. But as with Hagar in this world, encouraged and take heart that even though we sometimes cannot see it while in the depths of our despair, God's provision is always there for us and is sufficient for our need. God promised Joshua in Joshua chapter 1, I will be with thee, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and of good courage and you can be sure that God will not fail you either. Let us commit our day to the Lord in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, we come this morning to thank you afresh that we can rely on the promises of Almighty God. And even though the situation around us can be bleak and we can endure great hardship, Father, you still care for us and you are with us in our trials. We do remember those who today are in pain. We remember those who are ill. We remember those who are seriously concerned over loved ones. And Father, we pray that today they will know strength and help from the Almighty God. Undertake for us, Father, today. Lift us up and keep us trusting, keep us close, and help us, Lord, to know the blessing of your presence. We ask this, returning our thanks to you, for all your love to us, in our Saviour's name. In Numbers chapter 6, God instructed Aaron to bless the children of Israel with these beautiful words. The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee give thee peace and I trust that today you will know that peace of God as you go through the issues of today. May God bless you.