You are the God who sees me. Genesis 16:13
Early mornings can be painful for my friend Alma, a single mom of two. She says, “When everything is quiet, worries surface. As I do household chores, I think about our financial concerns and the kids’ health and studies.”
When her husband abandoned her, Alma bore the responsibility of raising her children on her own. “It’s difficult,” she says, “but I know God sees me and my family. He gives me the strength to work two jobs, provides for our needs, and lets my kids experience His guidance each day.”
Hagar, an Egyptian maidservant, understood what it meant to be seen by God. After she got pregnant by Abram, she began to despise Sarai (Genesis 16:4), who in turn mistreated her, causing Hagar to flee to the desert. Hagar found herself alone, facing a future that seemed bleak and hopeless for her and her unborn child.
But it was in the desert that “the angel of the Lord” (v. 7) met her and said, “The Lord has heard of your misery” (v. 11). The angel of God gave Hagar guidance on what to do, and He assured her of what the future would hold. From her we learn one of the names of God—El Roi, “the God who sees me” (v. 13).
Like Hagar, you may be on a difficult journey—feeling lost and alone. But remember that even in the wasteland, God sees you. Reach out to Him and trust Him to guide you through.
7 The angel of the Lordx found Hagar near a springy in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.z 8 And he said, “Hagar,a slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”b
“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”c
11 The angel of the Lordd also said to her:
“You are now pregnant
and you will give birth to a son.e
You shall name himf Ishmael,a g
for the Lord has heard of your misery.h
12 He will be a wild donkeyi of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,k” for she said, “I have now seenc the One who sees me.”l 14 That is why the wellm was called Beer Lahai Roid;n it is still there, between Kadesho and Bered.
15 So Hagarp bore Abram a son,q and Abram gave the name Ishmaelr to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years olds when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
INSIGHT
- How could knowing God as El Roi—the God who sees—change your view of your current circumstances?
- How can you respond to Him?
How encouraging it is to know that those who are marginalized by what others do to them or by what they do to themselves don’t escape the attention of God. Genesis 16 emphasizes this with two names—the name of a place, Beer Lahai Roi (“the well of the Living One who sees me,” v. 14) and the name of a son, Ishmael (“God will hear,” v. 11). The words “the Lord has heard of your misery” (v. 11) show the keen nature of divine hearing. The root word of “has heard” is the oft-used Hebrew word shama‘, which means “to hear, listen, or obey.” Indeed, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry” (Psalm 34:15).
PRAYER
Dear God, thank You that I’ll never have to journey through life alone. I know that You see me and will always be with me. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!!
Read: Genesis 16:7-16 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalm 29-30 ; Acts 23:1-15
