The God Who Sees

📖 Truth Tuesday — The God Who Sees

Sometimes we come to a familiar Bible story and discover something about God we've never fully noticed before.

That's what happened to me this week in Genesis 16.

Most of us know Hagar as the mother of Ishmael.

But before she's remembered for history...

she's a frightened woman alone in the wilderness.

And that's where we read these beautiful words:

"Now the angel of the LORD found her..."(Genesis 16:7)

Hagar wasn't searching for God.

God came looking for Hagar.

Later, she gives Him a remarkable name:

El Roi—"The God who sees."

What a beautiful reminder that God's compassion is never limited by our failures or by the complicated circumstances we find ourselves in.

💭 Today's Truth

Before Hagar found hope, she discovered she had never been out of God's sight.

The same God who met Hagar in the wilderness still sees His children today.

He knows every burden you carry.

Every question you wrestle with.

Every fear you've never spoken out loud.

And He has not forgotten you.

🙏 Today's Prayer

Lord, thank You for being El Roi—the God who sees! Thank You that You know every part of my story, every burden I carry, and every place where my heart feels uncertain. Thank You that Your mercy reaches into the wilderness and Your compassion never runs out. Help me rest in the confidence that I have NEVER been outside of Your loving care. Draw me closer to You today, and help me trust the God who sees me completely.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

If these words express your heart today, make them your prayer. Or find your own words and spend a few moments honestly talking with the Lord.

🎙️ Today's Five More Minutes is also available wherever you listen to podcasts.

The God who found Hagar in the wilderness still delights in revealing Himself to those who seek Him.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Hello, friends. Would you join with me as we spend five more minutes with God? Today is a Truth Tuesday. Truth Tuesday is a day where we anchor our hearts in God's unchanging word and we allow the truth of his word to change the way that we live and to change our hearts. Today, I'd like to ask you, if you have a Bible nearby, to turn with me to Genesis chapter 16. Genesis chapter 16. Sometimes we come to a familiar story thinking that we already know it, and then we slow down and we discover something about God that causes us to love him even more. Well, Genesis 16 became that kind of passage for me this week. Now, most of us know Hagar as the mother of Ishmael. And if that's all we remember, we miss a beautiful picture of God's heart. And we're going to see that today if we'll open our minds. Hagar was an Egyptian servant in Abram and Sarah's household. And God had promised Abram and Sarah a son. But years passed with no child. And you know this part of the story. Instead of waiting on God's timing, they took matters into their own hands. Sarah gave Hagar to Abram, hoping to accomplish God's promise through human effort. But it only made things worse. Jealousy entered into the home, and relationships were fractured, and Hagar was treated badly. And finally she runs away. She's pregnant, she's alone, she's in the wilderness, and that's where this story becomes so beautiful. I want you to listen to Genesis chapter 16, verses 7 and 8. Listen to these words. Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. He said, Hagar, Sarah's maid, where have you come from and where are you going? And she said, I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarah. I was drawn to the very first words of verse 7. Now the angel of the Lord found her. Hagar wasn't searching for God. God came looking for Hagar. And then the Lord asked, Where have you come from and where are you going? Of course, God already knew the answer. The angel had identified her by her very name. The question wasn't for his benefit, it was for hers. He invited her to stop and to tell her story and to hear his voice before he gave her direction. And in the middle of a story that's filled with human failure, God moved toward Hagar instead of away from her. The Lord told her to return. And then we come to one of the most memorable moments in this entire passage, and one that you might remember. Listen to Genesis chapter 16, verse 13. Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her. Hagar gives God a name. You are El Roy, she says, the God who sees. Imagine that. A servant, an outsider, a runaway. And yet she discovers that the God of heaven had been watching over her all along. Now it's easy for us to think of Hagar only as the mother of Ishmael because we know the rest of the story. We know there would be conflict. We know there's going to be heartache. We know the future was not going to unfold the way that Abraham and Sarah had tried to force it. And yet none of that kept God from showing mercy to a hurting woman in the wilderness. What a beautiful reminder that God's compassion is never limited by our failures or by our complicated circumstances that we find ourselves in. Friend, that's the God this passage reveals. His care is not reserved for people that everyone expects him to notice. He moves toward frightened servants. He moves towards wandering runaways. He moves toward weary hearts and heavy hearts and ordinary people in ordinary wildernesses. The God who met Hagar still meets people today. He knows every burden that you carry. He knows every question that you wrestle with. He knows every failure that you have made, and he even knows your future failures, every fear that you've never spoken out loud. He knows that, and he has not forgotten you. Before Hagar found hope, she discovered that she had never been out of God's sight. Hope didn't begin because all of Hagar's circumstances changed. Hope began because she discovered something about God. She learned that the God who'd been watching over her had also been walking with her. And friend, when you know that the Lord sees you, you can trust Him with what you cannot yet see. As I spent time with this passage, there's a prayer that came to my heart. It's there in the description. And I'd love for you to pray that prayer today, if it be the words that are on your heart, or find your own words today, but spend a few moments honestly with the Lord. Today, remember this the God who found Hagar in the wilderness still delights in revealing himself to those who seek him. Before Hagar found hope, she discovered that she had never been out of God's sight. Remember that. God sees, God knows, and yet God loves and God redeems. Praise God today that the God who sees, sees and knows your heart, and he loves you and gave his son for you that you may know him and walk with him. God bless you. Have a wonderful Tuesday, rock this day out, and I'll see you next time for five more minutes with God.