The God Who Sees Me

"Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, 'You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees'; for she said, 'Have I also here seen Him who sees me?'" - Genesis 16:13

All hope seemed lost for Hagar. Pregnant. A castaway. Destitute. Left for dead with her unborn child. She was kicked out of camp by her mistress, Sarai, leaving behind the only family this enslaved Egyptian may have ever known.

Wait! Let me back up.

Sarai was unable to conceive a son for her husband, Abram. So, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She asked her husband to have sexual relations with her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar, in hopes of giving Abram a son to carry on the family name. Abram happily agreed and Hagar became pregnant with a son. Sarai's plan was working perfectly. (Gen. 16:1-3). Until it wasn't.

Wouldn't this make for a great reality TV series? "The Wonderful Life of Abram and the Sister Wives."

Hagar despised Sarai since she made it known the child would be hers once he was born. Sarai blamed Abram. In an effort to mend their relationship, Abram told Sarai she could do as she wished with her maidservant. So, she cast her off. Threw her away. Told her to leave. Made her flee from the only life she may have ever lived leaving behind the only family she may have ever known.

Maybe you can relate. The outcast. Black sheep of the family. Unloved. Hated by everyone. Pregnant and all alone. Afraid. Fearful. Anxious.

Many times in life we can often feel this way. Sometimes we are made to feel this way by others who have ostracized us. Maybe we were in the wrong, or maybe we were right. Sometimes we do all the right things and no one seems to notice.

Co-workers receive rave reviews for their work when you were the ones who put all the pieces together behind the scenes. You are just too humble to make a name for yourself. You serve in your church on a regular basis and never receive as much as a simple "Thank you." Every day you cook, clean, wash dishes, pick up people's underwear off the floor, change poopy diapers, wipe snotty noses, take the dog for a walk that everybody else in the family seemed to forget about, etc. etc. etc.

My friend, may I remind you that God sees everything you do. I encourage you to take the time to thank Him for giving you the opportunity to clean up after your messy family or to wash the sink full of dishes that no one in the house can see piling up but you. For one, those dishes in the house where you live do not belong to you. Everything belongs to God. He gives to us abundantly, and we should be good stewards of His stuff.

When Hagar realized God could see her pain, hear her cries, she realized He loved her even in her time of brokenness. God loves you just the same. He may not always answer right away. Sometimes we have to run away and spend time alone with Him before we can fully see what He has waiting for us on the other side.

God promised Hagar in Genesis 16 she would have a beautiful baby boy. He told her to return to live with Abram and Sarai. He created restoration and love in what seemed to be a hopeless situation. He can do the same for you today, my friend. Let go and give it to God.

He stands ready to wrap His loving arms around you. Let Him come into your life and give Him all the praise for being the One who sees you as His child. If you are looking for a hope in your world of brokenness, check out my latest devotional book Beauty Rises Again: From Brokenness to New Beginnings.

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