El Roi: The God Who Sees

Do you ever feel like you are in a desert? Wandering lost without even enough water to quench your thirst? Do you feel more disconnected than ever in the rapidly progressing world of technology? Good news: the God who created the Universe has not moved.

There is a story that you have probably heard. Abraham and Sarah, initially Abram and Sarai, are given a promise from God that they will conceive a child, and that their generations will be too numerous to count. There is a problem; they are in their 80s! (See Genesis 15:4)

God is never late, but sometimes when He shows up with promises, it seems a little hopeless. Abraham and Sarah are human, so they respond, as we often do, they take matters into their own hands. Sarah gives her servant girl, Hagar, to Abraham to be a surrogate mother to bring about God’s promise. Both Sarah, making the suggestion, and Abraham, going along with it, are acting faithless. The only party without a say was Hagar, but she was not innocent. (See Genesis 16:1-4)

Hagar began to despise Sarah, thinking more of herself because of her pregnancy. As in all good reality dramas, two women cannot share one man without a blow-up. Sarah drives Hagar away for her bad attitude. Hagar flees and is met by an angel. (See Genesis 16:4-8)

Surprisingly, even though every party in the story showed disobedience and a lack of faith, God met them in their distress. (See Genesis 9-15) It is in Hagar’s meeting with the angel that she acknowledges, “You are the God who sees me…” (Genesis 16:13b)

Hagar had done wrong. She was put in a bad position to bear the child that was promised to Sarah, but she was not without guilt in her situation. (Don’t you feel a little bit better about your messed-up family now?) No matter our guilt, no matter how far we attempt to run from God, He sees! He not only sees, but He lovingly sets us back in the right direction.

hroughout scripture, we are reminded of God’s loving character toward us. He is the good shepherd keeping us from harm. He is the King who fights our battles for us. He is the comforter and giver of peace. He is the promise keeper, even when we break the covenant.

You probably also know that despite the faithlessness of Abraham and Sarah, God brings the promise to pass bringing a child through Sarah. (See Genesis 21:1-7) God’s goodness does not hold off just because we are knuckleheads. His kindness is not proportionate to our obedience.

When you feel like you are running for your life, when it seems dark and hopeless, like you have made too many mistakes to recover from, stop and consider El Roi, your God who sees you.

Happy Honeymooning!

“But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not fear, you are worth more than a great number of sparrows!” (Luke 12:7)