Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness... And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going” (Genesis 16:7)?
Heavenly Father, You are the God who created us in Your image (Genesis 1:27)—the God who "saw our unformed body" (Psalm 139: 16). You know everything about us, "indeed the very hairs of [our] head are all numbered" (Luke 12:7).
Lord, You are with us through all of life's journey—You are so long with us and yet we do not know You (John 14:9)—our untrained senses do not perceive You. We consider Your face unremarkable (Isaiah 53:2), dismiss your voice as thunder (John 12:29).
But when, like Hagar, we come to the end of our running—when all our options empty into a dead end wasteland—when we can no longer run from the hard question in every human soul, "Where have you come from, and where are you going?"—You find us in the wilderness. And You know every detail about us—You know our name, You know our occupation, You know the way we take (Job 23:10).
O God who sees us, thank You that You do not leave us to perish in the wilderness. Thank You for Your holy angels, for Your very presence—the Angel of the Lord—guarding us, setting us on course. Help us O Lord, to submit to You, trusting Your plan—even when the way is difficult—believing You will guide us to the better land.
Whither, pilgrims, are you going, Going each with staff in hand? We are going on a journey, Going at our King’s command. Over hills and plains and valleys, We are going to His palace, We are going to His palace, Going to the better land; We are going to His palace, Going to the better land.
Fear ye not the way so lonely— You, a little, feeble band? No, for friends unseen are near us: Holy angels round us stand. Christ, our Leader, walks beside us: He will guard and He will guide us, He will guard and He will guide us, Guide us to the better land; He will guard and He will guide us, Guide us to the better land.
Tell me, pilgrims, what you hope for In that far-off, better land. Spotless robes and crowns of glory From a Savior’s loving hand. We shall drink of life’s clear river, We shall dwell with God forever, We shall dwell with God forever In that bright and better land; We shall dwell with God forever In that bright and better land.
Pilgrims, may we travel with you To that bright, that better land? Come and welcome, come and welcome, Welcome to our pilgrim band. Come, O come, and do not leave us, Christ is waiting to receive us, Christ is waiting to receive us In that bright, that better land; Christ is waiting to receive us In that bright, that better land.
~ Frances J. Crosby ~ Published 1859
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