"The place where the living God sees me!"
Genesis 15:11,14: And the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child; thou shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael: for the Lord hath heard thy affliction. She called the well Beer Lahaj Roi: the place where the living God sees me
For most Muslims, Hagar and Ishmael are an important part of their spiritual family tree.
Hagar, whom we meet in Genesis chapter 15, fought an unequal battle and had to flee oppression and domestic violence.
Around the Muslim world, there are many women like Hagar. From women in Iran protesting the regime's abuses, to women experiencing oppression, exploitation and even domestic violence. These abuses are rooted in an interpretation of Islamic religious scripture that justifies subjecting women to undignified treatment.
Today, some of Hagar's daughters manage to get help through Christians in the Muslim world who respond as Jesus did and hear the suffering of Hagar's daughters.
In September I was in Central Asia where Christian women from Muslim backgrounds told me: "We had asked the mosque for help, but they would not hear of our suffering. You Christians were sent by God in response to our cry to Him for help!"
They continued: "We learned that the living God has heard and seen our suffering, and like Hagar at the well, He speaks our language!" Listen carefully! Is there a cry for help from your Muslim neighbor as you read this? Jesus heard and saw Hagar's suffering. Today, God is using Christians in the Muslim world to share His love in Jesus with them.
Thank you so much for your prayers for their work.
Palle Flyger is a lecturer and tour guide at the Danish European Mission
