Early mornings can be painful for my friend Alma, a single mum 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.
By Karen Huang
REFLECT & PRAY
How could knowing God as El Roi—the God who sees—change your view of your current circumstances? How can you respond to Him?
God, thank You for the assurance that I’ll never have to journey through life alone. I know that You see me, and that You’ll always be with me.
How encouraging it is to know that those who are marginalised by what others do to them or by what they do to themselves don’t escape the attention of God. Genesis 16 emphasises 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).
Arthur Jackson
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