Gen 21:17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her,…Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.”
Sarah gave her servant Hagar to Abraham as a wife (Gen 16) to have children by her. After Hagar had Ishmael, problems arose later when Sarah had her own son Isaac. Perceiving Ishmael as a threat to Isaac, Sarah forced Abraham to send Hagar away from a home, people, protection and provisions she enjoyed to a lonely, life threatening desert with a teenager. Not long before all food and water was gone that she and her son wept, but God heard the cry of the son and sent words of comfort and assurance.
Both cries touched God but the son’s more. The words “Fear not” only matters when God speaks them. He is with us everywhere even in the wilderness. He hears our groaning and that of the little ones. Do not despise the cries or prayers of the little children, God hears them. Do not despise the little things or unexpected. It matters not where we started from (living with Abraham was promising), we can have a fresh start in the desert because of God’s words of comfort and assurance are greater than all. Hagar and Ishmael flourished in the desert because of God’s promises.