El Roi: The God Who Sees Me
Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees me (El Roi)”; for she said, “Have I even seen Him here and lived after He saw me?”
Genesis 16:13, NASB
El Roi: The God Who Sees
It’s a warm summer afternoon in Denali Park, Alaska, and I make my way to the loading dock behind the deli where I’ve been working for the past month. The sky is grey and threatening rain, and the air smells like pine.
Taking a deep breath, I fight tears as I see my friend Melissa approaching from across the parking lot. She’s in her mid-thirties, 14 years older than me, and she’s been like a loving older sister throughout my summer here.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, reading the expression on my face and grabbing my hand. Unable to hold back the tears, I fall to pieces, and Melissa sits with me on the edge of the wooden dock as I pour out my heart to her.
I tell her I came to Alaska because I wanted to break away from the life I’d created for myself at home in Pennsylvania. I wanted to get away from the awful decisions I’d been repeatedly making.
“I can’t run from it, Melissa,” I say through my tears. “The same decisions have found me in this place, too. I feel stuck. I’m so ashamed of the person I’ve become, and I have no idea how to change.”
Melissa wraps her arms around me and lets me cry. She listens as I try to make sense of my life, and she encourages me with wise words about making decisions carefully and adhering to my convictions. I feel somewhat consoled after our talk; yet I can’t shake the sense that running from my reality has done nothing, whatsoever, to change it.
El Roi Pursues Us in Love, Not Condemnation
Running from our problems is a common response to life’s challenges. Regretfully, running away rarely leads to the transformation we desire.
Hagar knew all about running away. She was the servant of Abram’s wife, Sarai. When Sarai and Abram were unable to conceive, they took matters into their own hands. Abram slept with Hagar (this was a common custom at the time), and Hagar bore a son.
In jealousy, Sarai mistreated Hagar and her son. Hagar’s best option seemed to be fleeing. Taking her son, she fled to the wilderness. Much to her disappointment, running away didn’t solve Hagar’s problem. She was alone with a child to provide for.
Seeing her distress, the Lord sent an angel to minister to her. Based on the details of today’s text, many scholars suggest that this angel was the preincarnate Christ. When Hagar encountered him, she declared, “You are a God who sees me (El Roi).”
Let’s pause to consider the truth that followed me to Alaska—and the truth Hagar encountered in the wilderness: We cannot outrun God.
We cannot escape our problems by trying to outrun them. Hagar may have escaped Sarai’s bitterness, but she ran into a different set of problems.
I ran from the poor decisions I’d been making in my hometown, but when faced with the same temptations, I continued making the same decisions thousands of miles from home.
Perhaps you’ve been running from something difficult. God has an invitation for you today. Instead of running from him and running from your difficult issue, run toward him. He sees you. Most importantly, he’s not angry with you for failing; he waits with open arms to help you and restore you.
We Are Never Alone
The promise of El Roi is not a condemning warning about a God who is watching us make mistakes and feeling disappointed in us.
Rather, it is a promise that even in our darkest moments, God is with us, comforting us.
God used the tangible arms of my friend Melissa to comfort me in Alaska.
He comforted Hagar with his presence.
He wants to comfort you, too. No matter how alone you feel, God is with you, pursuing you in tender love. He wants to heal you and offer you hope.
Your darkest moment doesn’t have to be the end of your story. Turn to him. Ask him to guide you. He is waiting.
El Roi Offers Hope and Understanding
Ultimately, the promise of El Roi is a promise of hope and understanding.
Most of us will face times when we feel misunderstood by the people we love most. This leads to a sense of isolation and even despair.
Meanwhile, God understands us better than we understand ourselves. He sees every part of our stories, and those of us who follow Jesus are forgiven for our sins. God isn’t judging us or punishing us. Jesus took our full punishment on the cross.
When we turn to El Roi, we find hope and healing. He will guide us from the depths of despair and into his light if we will follow him.
When we turn to El Roi, we find hope and healing. He will guide us from the depths of despair and into his light if we will follow him. #ElRoi #hope #healing Share on X~~~
If this post on God’s love and tenderness blessed you, I invite you to explore our family devotional books and library of free devotionals for hope and healing below. As I write today’s post, the Christmas season is approaching. I encourage you to consider gifting one of these meaningful devotionals for kids or teens to your loved ones this Christmas.
Christmas Presents for Parents, Kids, and Teens
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 7, 12, and 16 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 these books here or read more below. I also offer a teen devotional called Anchored, aimed at directly teaching teens the key Old Testament stories and helping them apply these narratives to their daily lives.
Devotions for Boys by Boys
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.
These Books Are Free on Kindle Unlimited: God Wants to Heal, Restore, and Refresh You
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. He also wants to help you establish a rhythm of meeting with him daily as you trust him with the hard parts of your life. Click here to explore two books that will guide you: Be Still and Trust and Lean Into Grace. They are free on the Kindle Unlimited program and for sale in print.
Download Your Free Devotional Here
Set Free: Let God Do What You Cannot explores ten realms in which most of us need God to work in our lives and bring deliverance. We’ll talk about finding freedom from fear, worry, insecurity, bad habits, emotional pain, and more. This short online devotional will bless you as you let God accomplish what you’ve been unable to achieve through willpower. Get your download for free with promo code GRACE or for a donation of 3.99 right here.
I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
