March 9, 2026
The God Who Comes Looking for You
TAYLOR JOY MURRAY
Lee en español
“And he said, ‘Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?’” Genesis 16:8a (ESV)
There are moments in life when, instead of running toward God, I run away from Him.
It’s not because I don’t love Him but because my pain feels too overwhelming to hold in His presence. So I escape into busyness, distraction, or numbness, hoping distance will somehow calm the ache.
Yet it’s often there that God meets me.
Hagar’s story reminds me I’m not the only one who has tried to outrun what hurts. In Genesis 16, Hagar was an enslaved woman forced into circumstances she did not choose. When her suffering became unbearable, she ran into the wilderness to escape her pain. Hagar didn’t run to God. But what’s stunning in her story is this: God didn’t wait for her to come back. He went after her.
The angel of the Lord found her on the road — in flight, in fear, in the middle of her unprocessed pain. He met her in motion, while she was trying to get away.
Pain often triggers the same instinct in us. We run, shut down, withdraw, distract. We hide because staying present feels impossible. Yet God moves toward us when we feel lost, unwanted, or pushed out.
Notice how God spoke to Hagar. He didn’t begin with an accusation but a question:
“Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” (Genesis 16:8a).
This wasn’t a demand — it was an invitation. The gentle curiosity of someone who wanted to know the story behind the tears.
Scripture doesn’t sanitize Hagar’s pain. She told the angel the truth: “I am fleeing …” (Genesis 16:8b). She named what was happening without minimizing it. And God listened.
Pain isolates us, but healing begins when someone sits with us in our grief and helps us hold what feels too heavy to carry alone. God allowed Hagar to speak openly, without shame or correction. He invited her to locate herself: her past, present, and desire for the future. And her story became safe in His presence.
In therapy, this is called coregulation: Someone more grounded and attuned comes near and helps our overwhelmed body and heart settle again. God was a secure presence in the place where Hagar expected to be alone.
Then Hagar became the first person in Scripture to give God a name. She said, “You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13, NIV). Her encounter with Him didn’t erase her circumstances, but it transformed her sense of self. She was no longer defined by her suffering. She was a woman seen, heard, and dignified by God Himself.
Your story may have desert places, too, lonely stretches where you weren’t looking for God at all. But the God who found Hagar is the same God who finds you and me. He meets us in motion, in fear, in the places where we run to escape our pain. And He begins not with demands but with questions that gently bring us home to ourselves.
Dear God, even when I feel unseen or alone, remind me that You see me and are present in my pain. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
Our brand-new study is here: Ezra & Nehemiah: Following God’s Call Even When It’s Costly! Get ready to walk forward with renewed courage — whether you are feeling weary, uncertain, or longing for restoration. And it shows how God rebuilds faith one faithful step at a time. Through the story of God stirring His people to rise again, you’ll rediscover what it means to trust Him, even when you don’t feel ready or strong. Faith doesn’t grow by accident; it grows as you follow God forward. So don’t wait! Grab your study guide, and get ready for what God is going to do!
ENGAGE
Connect with Taylor on Instagram. To learn more about Taylor; her books; her podcast, Faith & Feelings; and other resources, check out her website.
The journey toward healing can feel messy, nonlinear, and lonely at times, but it doesn’t have to be. On Taylor’s podcast, Faith & Feelings, she just finished a series called “Why Does My Healing Matter?” Taylor hosted conversations with wise and trusted voices on how we heal and why this work matters so deeply. Listen to the full series on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Jeremiah 31:3, “… I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (NIV).
In what ways have you felt invisible, overlooked, or unseen, and how does it feel to imagine God noticing you in those very moments?
The angel of the Lord responded to Hagar with curiosity, not accusation. How might practicing gentle self-inquiry — asking yourself where you’ve been and where you’re going — transform the way you relate to your own pain?
We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2026 by Taylor Joy Murray. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
