The God Who Sees Me - Genesis 16:13-16

Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup

The communion meditation today is based on a passage of Scripture from the Old Testament, Genesis 16:13-16. In this passage of Scripture, Hagar is visited by the angel of the Lord. In gratitude, she calls God by the name, El-Roi, The God Who Sees Me. As we partake of the bread and drink the fruit of the vine from the cup today, we remember Jesus, The God Who Sees Me, who died that our sins might be forgiven. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV) and are used with permission

As you listen to the episode today, my hope is that you will be encouraged from the time spent meditating on what Jesus has done for you. You are a special person; the one Jesus died to save!

Transcript

Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup. The title of my communion meditation today is "The God Who Sees Me." I read from Genesis 16:13-16 (NIV). All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV) and are used with permission.

13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Sarai gave Hagar to Abram as a wife and she became pregnant. This rivalry created tension between Sarai and Hagar, and ultimately, Hagar ran away. Later, as she was alone by a spring in the desert, she was visited by the angel of the Lord. He had a message for her and her unborn son, Ishmael, from God. The angel counsels her to return home and submit to her mistress. In response to God's salvation, she calls the Lord by the name, El-Roi, the God Who Sees Me, and names the well, Beer Lahai Roi, the well of the Living One who sees me. It is the first name for God spoken by a person in the book of Genesis. If it was possible to go to Beer Lahai Roi, I would go. I would stand there at the well and reflect on the first time I met "The God Who Sees Me." Perhaps in not so dramatic a way as Hagar, we all meet the God Who Sees Me before we put our faith in Him. We learn that He is a loving and caring God who wants what is best for us. He wants to forgive our sins and restore our relationship with Him. He wants us to live in community with our brothers and sisters in the kingdom of God. He wants us to live in heaven with Him for eternity. I am amazed what God can do. From His throne in heaven, He can focus His attention on each person with laser precision and see our need. At the same time, He steps back and views humankind with the same clarity of focus. He is The God Who Sees Me; He is the God Who Sees Us. The greatest need of humankind is the forgiveness of our sins. God provided for us by asking His Son to die that we might live. He shed His blood that our sins can be forgiven through faith in Him. When we partake of the bread and drink the fruit of the vine from the cup, we remember Him and His sacrifice. Let us pray.

Abba, Father. Today we bless and set aside this bread and the fruit of the vine in this cup to remember Your Son, Jesus. We know that the bread represents His body that was nailed to the cross, and the fruit of the vine represents His blood that He shed for us. As we pour out the wine from the cup, we are reminded of how Jesus poured out His own blood that our sins might be forgiven. Abba, Father, we agree with Hagar; You are The God Who Sees Me. We cannot see ourselves clearly, but You put everything about our lives in focus. We are sinners in need of a savior, and that Savior is Jesus. Thank-you, Abba, Father, that He was willing to die that we might live. As we partake of the bread and drink the fruit of the vine from the cup, we remember Jesus' sacrifice and His love for us. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Today, Jesus invites you to partake of His supper. I read from Matthew 26:26-28 (NIV).

26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Let us partake of the bread.

27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Let us partake of the cup.

And the assembly of believers said, "Amen!"

Until next time, from Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV), “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Artist's Note: If you have questions about the Lord's Supper, I invite you to visit my website, https://eatthisbreaddrinkthiscup.com, for a brief overview. The Eat This Bread Drink This Cup podcast is listed in most podcast directories, and I invite you to add my podcast to your favorites and be notified of new posts. There is a written transcript that accompanies each podcast, and you are free to use the transcript in accordance with US copyright law. My prayer is that you will benefit personally from this time with Jesus and encourage others to observe the Lord's Supper. In these trying times, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus!