By Ellie Saul
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about a desperate woman who realizes that the living God sees her. It happens in and around Genesis 21 and it is the seemingly impossible story of survival and hope for Hagar and Ishmael. She is not married, homeless, jobless, and has a starving young boy to take care of all alone in the desert.
I imagine many young mothers who abort experience a fear of this type of outcome. She may fear homelessness, anticipating her disappointed parents may kick her out of the house when they find out. Some parents may even threaten their daughter with homelessness if she does not abort. Abusive husbands or live-in boyfriends could pose the same threat. Even if homelessness threatens you, God sees you and He has resources greater than your fears.
Matthew 6:25-26
Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Some young women may fear singleness or being abandoned by their boyfriend. Boyfriends may even threaten to break up or harm the girl if she does not abort. Husbands could even threaten to divorce if she does not abort. If you are being threatened by your husband or boyfriend, seek help immediately and get to safety. Abortion is not your only option! God will never leave you or forsake you and He will provide for you even if you feel all alone.
John 14:27 (MSG)
Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.
One of the reasons young women abort is a fear of job opportunity or security in the future. I have literally seen disturbing Planned Parenthood abortion promotions that read, “Do you really need to inconvenience yourself for the next 18 years?”
Many young women, especially single moms fear that it would be too difficult to work or to acquire well paying positions as a single mother. There are wells already dug to provide for you and your child. You do not have to rely on job security or the system of this world to pull you through life. The blessing of the Lord can provide for you regardless of your occupation.
Proverbs 10:22 (AMP)
The blessing of the Lord—it makes truly rich, and He adds no sorrow with it neither does toiling increase it.
One of the reasons many moms abort is the fear of not being a good enough mom or the fear that their child will not have enough because of their current circumstance. The truth remains, God gently leads mothers and children even have angels who hold their faces before the Father.
Isaiah 40:11
He will feed His flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs in His arm, He will carry them in His bosom and will gently lead those that have their young.
Matthew 18:10
See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
Hagar faced all these things and more. She was thrown out of her home, fired from her job, and all alone in the desert, feeling absolutely incapable of being a good mother. She thought her only option was for her son to die, so she hid him because she could not bear to watch him die. God intervened. He saw her exactly where she was and blessed her. He opened her eyes to see provision that was already there and God blessed her son and provided for them.
If you are in a desperate moment, homeless, alone, unemployed, my prayer for you is that God intervenes. Perhaps He is even intervening already with these words. I pray that He opens your eyes to provision that is already there and that your heart finds peace and hope as you trust in Him for your child and for you. Don’t look the other way while your child dies at the hands of an abortionist, look up. God sees you and He is for you.
Genesis 21:15-19
When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears. But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.” Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.
Editor’s note. This appeared at Bound4Life and is reposted with permission.