The God Who Sees Me: He Hasn’t Missed a Moment
One of my close friends frequently reminds me that God never misses a moment of my life. Her words bring me comfort when I feel uncertain and overlooked. The God who sees me is always with me, providing for me.
Today, we’ll enter into the story of a woman who felt marginalized, a woman who fled from a difficult situation in desperation. Then, we’ll draw seven lessons from her story that can help us trust in El Roi, The God Who Sees.
Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you find comfort in the presence of the God who sees you.
The God Who Sees Me
At some point, most of us have been through into situations without being consulted in the plans. This was the story of Hagar, the Egyptian servant of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Abraham and Sarah were desperate for a child. In their desperation, they connived a plan: Abraham could conceive a child with Hagar. Problem solved!
When they came up with this plan, Abraham and Sarah probably didn’t foresee the complications that would arise.
After Hagar conceived, tension filled the home, jealousy and shame mingled with the despair Sarah felt over years of infertility.
Overwhelmed by envy, Sarah resented Hagar. When Hagar could take it no more, she fled into the wilderness.
Alone, pregnant, and destitute, Hagar encountered God. God saw her affliction and promised that her son would be the father of a great nation. Hagar named God El Roi, “The God Who Sees Me,” because God had seen her in her suffering (Genesis 16:13).
Hagar then returned to the home of Abraham and Sarah and gave birth to a son named Ishmael.
For years, she lived in the home as the tension lingered. Eventually, after Isaac was born, Sarah sent Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness.
Alone in the wilderness again, this time with Ishmael, the water ran dry. Hagar wept, expecting to die.
God Provides for Hagar
Once again, God saw.
He showed her a well and repeated his promise that a great nation would come from Ishmael.
Hagar and Ishmael settled in the wilderness of Paran where Ishmael eventually married an Egyptian wife. God kept his promise to Ishmael: He became the father of a great nation, the Ishmaelites of Arabia.
Hagar’s story reminds us that even when life seems unfair, God sees and provides for us. He protects the vulnerable and remembers the rejected.
Perhaps you need this reminder today.
God hasn’t missed a moment of your life. He is with you, lovingly providing for you even when you can’t see signs of his provision.
Let’s look at some lessons from Hagar’s story of “The God Who Sees Me.”
The God Who Sees Me: Lessons From Hagar’s Story
1. God sees me even when I feel unseen.
When Hagar first fled to the wilderness, she felt alone and forgotten.
God revealed himself to her and showed her that he was with her. He cared for her.
God prompted Hagar to return to the home of Abraham and Sarah, gently reminding her that running from her problems would only make the situation worse.
By sending Hagar back to Abraham’s home, God was assuring that she and Ishmael would be cared for until Ishmael was older and they were able to leave permanently.
2. When God sees us, he doesn’t always fix our problems through divine intervention.
Most of the time, he sends us back into the troubled situations and calls us to deal with these situations directly.
Running from her problems was not Hagar’s solution. God called her to return and face the situation. In the process he, provided for her and cared for her.
3. God meets us in the wilderness.
Metaphorically, the wilderness represents any difficult time in life.
Your wilderness might look like a long-term illness, mentally ill loved one, difficult job, prodigal child, troubled marriage, or something different.
Like Hagar, you might feel alone in the wilderness.
Friend, you are not alone. God is with you. Call on him. He will help you and guide you.
4. God cares for those who are unjustly wronged.
None of the events in Hagar’s life were the results of her choices.
Imagine being told you must sleep with someone to whom you are not married and bear a child together. Then, imagine this person’s spouse resenting you when it was her idea in the first place!
Hagar’s circumstances were chosen for her, and it seemed unfair. But God saw her. He cared for her, and he blessed her son by allowing him to be the father of a great nation.
5. God’s mercy reaches beyond our human presumptions.
As an Egyptian, Hagar was not under the Hebrew covenant as a child of God. She was not one of God’s “chosen people.”
Nevertheless, God pursued her.
God pursues all people and wants to have a relationship with all people regardless of race, religious background, and culture. The gateway to a relationship with God is receiving Jesus as the Savior and Leader of our lives, and God invites all people into this relationship.
6. God’s provision can be subtle.
At times in my life, I’ve questioned God’s provision, only to later look back and realize he was providing for me all along. His provision was so subtle that I missed it.
God placed Hagar near a well when she and Ishmael fled into the wilderness. But Hagar was so distressed by her dwindling water supply that she was about to give up and die.
God opened her eyes and showed her that he had provided a well nearby.
Sometimes, we need to ask God to open our eyes and show us signs of his provision.
7. God dignifies the marginalized.
God dignified Hagar by allowing her son to become the father of a nation.
If you have been mistreated or marginalized, you are precious to God. He wants to show you your true worth and give you dignity.
God sees you. He is with you. Turn to him and ask him to help you follow him, trusting that he won’t miss a moment of your journey.
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If these reflections from the life of Hagar and “The God Who Sees Me” blessed you, I invite you to explore our family devotionals and library of free devotionals and eBooks below. Be blessed as you draw near to the God who loves you.
The God Who Sees Me: He Hasn’t Missed a Moment Share on XCalling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Apply the Old Testament to Your Life Today
Do you want to learn how to read the Old Testament and apply it to the challenges you face in your everyday life? In 30 devotions, my free devotional eBook, Timeless, will help you grow in God’s Word while applying it to your life.
You’ll also learn how the entire Bible points to Jesus as we unpack fascinating symbolism linking the Old Testament to Christ. Download it for free with promo code JESUS here or consider offering a $4.99 donation to support this ministry.
I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
