The Story of Hagar: Becoming Who God Created You to Be
The story of Hagar in the Bible has been shared many times. Her rejection, wandering, and strength.
Brooke Jevicks adds beautiful insight into the story of Hagar through a powerful lens, connecting her experiences to Hagar in the Bible.
I wasn’t the chosen one. I had to survive.
I learned how to smile while I was silently unraveling. I kept showing up – trying to be the best mom I could be, be great at work, and show up for friends and family too – while wondering who remembered (or cared) that I was spiraling in pain and loneliness.*
Maybe that’s why the story of Hagar is so powerful to me. Because Hagar wasn’t chosen either.
I remember sitting in a counselor’s office trying to put words to something that didn’t quite make sense in my head but felt so heavy in my heart.
“I know that God loves me. And I know that should be enough. But right now, it doesn’t feel like enough right now.”
I remember feeling embarrassed to admit that. I remember going on about how I know God is enough. What I didn’t say out loud was this:
I just wanted someone to choose me.
Not because they had to.
Not because I proved my worth.
Just because they saw me, they understood me, and they wanted me anyway.
Hagar knows that feeling.
The Story of Hagar in the Bible
The story of Hagar doesn’t seem to start with a purpose. It starts with pain. (But hold on.)
Hagar wasn’t the wife. She wasn’t the one chosen to build the legacy.
She was used – given to Abraham – and used for what Sarai wanted. And when everything became too complicated? She was sent away.
Sent away pregnant. Sent away alone. Alone in the wilderness.
No plan. No protection. No one coming to rescue her.
Just heat, fear, and the overwhelming weight of how did I get here?
Have you found yourself asking “how did I end up here?” I sure have!
But my dear sister, this is exactly where God met her.
Not in comfort.
Not in clarity.
Not when everything made sense.
But in the wilderness.
The Story of Hagar: God Sees Her
It is so important to understand that in the story of Hagar, the Lord Almighty met her in the wilderness because she didn’t have it together there.
This is where things didn’t make sense. This is where she was breaking.
This is where she might have asked, “How did I get here?”
“How did I get here?” ……I thought that when my marriage was falling apart – looking at the two sweet babies we shared wondering if things would ever be ok.
I thought that when I was moving out. I thought that when I had no money to pay all of the bills.
I thought that when I faced the reality of having to sell my house, and unsure I would be able to get another place to live.
I thought that when I couldn’t get out of bed, convinced everyone would be better without me. I thought, “How did I get here?” so many times.
When Hagar was in the wilderness, all alone, God came to her.
In that interaction, Hagar gave God a name: El Roi — The God who sees me. (Genesis 16:13)
Not because someone explained it to her, but because she experienced Him for herself.
This is where everything shifts.
The Story of Hagar: God Strengthens Her
Because in the story of Hagar, it isn’t just about being seen…it’s about becoming.
God didn’t immediately remove her from hardship.
He saw her.
He met her.
He Spoke to her.
He strengthened her.
He gave her a promise.
And then…she had to keep walking. This part matters because becoming isn’t instant. There are often more steps to take.
We often have a lot more walking to do.
There were seasons in my life where I wanted God to pull me out immediately.
I desperately wanted Him to fix everything. I begged him to heal me.
I prayed, on my knees, over the hurt I could see all over my kids, begging God for a partner, and how to improve our lives.
I prayed for work opportunities. You know what He did? He met me.
He met me in the quiet prayers whispered through tears.
He met me in the exhaustion I couldn’t explain.
He met me in moments when I wondered if I would survive.
He didn’t always change my circumstances overnight. In fact, I prayed many of the same prayers for years.
But He did change me as I moved through the wilderness.
God restored my faith. He let me keep walking on my own so I could continue to discover Him in bold ways. He showed me who I am in Him!
Do we talk about this enough?
We want transformation – without tension.
We want a breakthrough – without process.
We want to become – without the journey in the wilderness.
But the truth is, you don’t become who God created you to be by avoiding the wilderness. You become by encountering Christ in it.
Hagar went from feeling misused to knowing she is seen.
She went from being cast out to knowing she is called.
She went from surviving to knowing that the One who sees her will strengthen her.
Not because her situation was perfect, but because her perspective shifted after she encountered God.
The Story of Hagar: Hope for You
Where are you today? Are you feeling unseen? Are you feeling uncertain?
Are you tired of holding it all together? Are you wondering if God is anywhere near the place you’re standing?
Dear sister, He sees you. He cares for you. And He isn’t trying to hurt you. He is trying to become everything for you.
Are you the one carrying more than she lets on?
The one crying late at night when everyone else is fast asleep?
The one who always feels misunderstood?
The one who never feels chosen?
The one still showing up when it’s hard?
The one quietly becoming?
Because just like in the story of Hagar, this is not the end of your story.
This is where God meets you and begins to reveal who you are becoming.
You are not forgotten.
You are not disqualified.
You are not too far gone.
You are seen.
And you are becoming.
God is not ignoring your pain. He is strengthening something in you that comfort cannot do.
A deeper, bold faith.
A quieter confidence.
An unshakable identity that no longer is built on who chooses you – but on the God who already has!
God doesn’t waste your hard seasons – He uses them to shape you into the woman you are becoming.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good….” Romans 8:28
This is another reason to pay attention to what Hagar says.
“I have seen the One who sees me.”
She went into the wilderness defined by what had been done to her.
And she left with a new perspective – a new understanding – and most importantly with a new bold faith, a quieter confidence, and an unshakable identity in Christ.
Becoming Who God Created You to Be
This doesn’t mean that what happened to you shouldn’t be addressed. This doesn’t mean that comfort isn’t important.
But this is a reminder to always seek your Heavenly Father first and fully surrender to Him.
He has not abandoned you. He is right there. And He will change you in the wilderness.
If this resonated with you – if you feel like you’re in the wilderness, carrying more than people see or understand – God is inviting you into something deeper.
Becoming, a devotional I wrote, wasn’t written from a place of having it all together. Because trust me, I do not have it all together.
I wrote Becoming as I reflected on the long, hard stretches in the wilderness, for the woman standing in the wilderness, wondering, “how did I get here?”
I am still wrestling with things. I am still learning. I am still growing. I am still becoming.
It’s a journey back to truth.
Back to who God created you to be.
We live in a broken world where it is easy to believe that we do not matter.
My dear sister, God is not surprised by your pain. He is not disappointed by your weakness.
God still calls you His masterpiece! He made you with a purpose for a purpose! You were not made to carry it all. You were made to walk in the freedom of knowing you belong to the One who created you with intention and deep love.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 NLT
If you’re looking for someone to come alongside your community, your women, or your team to speak life, faith, and real transformation into the room, I would be honored to be part of that.
Because this message is not just mine. It is for every woman who is ready to stop surviving and start becoming.
You are not alone in this. This is not the end of your story! You are deeply loved
The Story of Hagar on YouTube
Join Brooke on YouTube as she shares her powerful story and explains how she relates to Hagar’s story in the Bible. Click here to view.
Message from Brooke
*It is important to note that while I had these thoughts, they represent the deep sorrow and pain of loneliness. Family and friends did care.
But even when we have loved ones who love us through the hard times, we can still feel alone.
It is important for me to recognize this and acknowledge that my family and friends loved me through many hard things.
Author
Brooke Jevicks
Brooke is a single mom of two amazing humans, a nonprofit leader, a speaker, and a woman of unshakable faith who has walked through seasons of deep adversity. From surviving abuse, navigating poverty, and nearly facing homelessness as a single mother, to rebuilding her life, career, and faith—her journey is one of redemption and resilience. To learn more about Brooke, visit her website. Brooke recently released her book, Becoming, available on Amazon.
