So often, when I’m struggling with hard things in this life, God will remind me of something from His Word. I guess this is why I’m so passionate that we should seek Him daily through our Bibles.

You know, when we suffer through hard days, as many are seeing right now, it is easy to wonder, “Does God see?” “Does He care?” Even, “Is it possible that the sin of our culture (and my sin) has been so much that He has turned away?”

I’m reminded the Old Testament is full of situations where God’s people felt this way. And with that, I am picking up again my study of Genesis.

Genesis 16

Sarai’s problems started because she doubted God. Abram remained silent, failing to lead her spiritually, and went along with Sarai’s plan and outside of God’s will.

It’s a snowballing of poor decisions, the consequences of which affect many.

Hagar, Sarais maid, is caught up in Sarai’s plan to fix things herself and not wait on God, and, at Sarai’s suggestion , Hagar is impregnated by Abram and began to despise Sarai.

Sarai, in turn, mistreats Hagar.

It’s a miserable mess.

Have you been there? Well, maybe not in exactly those circumstances, but have you doubted God and gone your own way and found yourself in a heaping helping mess of trouble?

I sure have.

Or maybe the sin of others has made it easier for you to feel like you were justified to sin?

Again, me too.

Maybe like Hagar, you’ve ran away in desperation?

Oh friend, despite all that, God sees you. Let the Words of Scripture remind us of this truth.

We can know God sees us because He saw Hagar in her mess, in her confusion, in her pride that got her in trouble with Sarai. God saw Hagar, with compassion, and He even allowed Hagar to see (what most scholars believe to be) a pre-incarnate Jesus. (Gen 16:7-16)

The Angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar and this pregnant slave girl called the name of the Lord – “El Roi” which means the God-Who-Sees.

From her mess, God brings a message of hope!

He is still doing this today in this crazy world and in our crazy lives.

He sees you. He knows the hurt you’ve walked through. He knows the wrong that has been done to you and the wrong you’ve done to others.

We may want to throw in the towel. We may feel like running away in shame sometimes.

But let’s remember God is the Promise Keeper. HE completes the contract.

When we become His, by calling on the precious blood of His Son to save us, we REMAIN His! Nothing can pluck us out of His Hand. (John 10:28)

Just as God mercifully and powerfully kept His promise to Abram, Sarai, and Hagar, He will keep His promise to us through the blood of His Son.

Regardless of the scary things we see in the news and regardless of the scary things we worry might happen in our families, God sees us!

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee”. (2 Cor 1:20-22)

God sees us and is faithfully doing what He said He would do! We can trust Him!

He is not some aloof, uninvolved God! He is El-Roi, the God-Who-Sees—our LIVING HOPE!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls”. (1 Peter 1:3-9)

And here’s the thing, as we remember this LIVING HOPE, El-Roi, the God-Who-Sees, may our hearts be filled with a greater determination to follow that HOPE, through obedience for HIS GLORY, all the way HOME!

What a Savior! What a friend!

Glory to Jesus!

readGenesis

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