El Roi: The God Who Sees Me

Have you ever gone through a period in your life where everything just seemed topsy turvy?

Situations at your job are a mess.

Finances are a HOT mess.

Marriage is a mess.

And PLEASE don’t mention the kids! Whose kids ARE these?!?

Or maybe you are currently suffering repercussions from a situation that was simply not your fault..such as someone stealing something from you, false accusations, or, God forbid, someone had taken advantage of you in some way.

All of these situations can leave you feeling hopeless, helpless, in despair, rejected, and sometimes like a failure.

You’ve cried, prayed, cried some more, sought the Lord, and still no relief.

During these times, I have often wondered if He heard me. I have asked, “God, do you see this? Do you see what’s happening? I NEED YOU!!”

Take heart, God has put you in a position to get to know him as El Roi, the God who sees you!

In the bible, Hagar, who was Sarah and Abraham’s egyptian slave, came to know God as El Roi twice. In Genesis 16, Sarah, in her haste to have a child instead of waiting on God’s promise, gave Hagar to Abraham to bear a child. Once Hagar conceived, Hagar began to despise her mistress Sarah. As a result, Sarah began to mistreat Hagar, and Hagar ran away into the desert.

While in the desert, the angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar and said, “ Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” Hagar responded that she was running away from Sarai.

The angel of the Lord instructed her to go back and submit to her mistress Sarai, but he also made her a promise that she would have a son and that God would increase her descendants so much that they would be too numerous to count.

At that point she recognized God as El Roi, saying “You are the God who sees me. I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Just like Hagar, we face things in our lives that seem so unbearable that we just want to run away from it! We go through the situation kicking, screaming, and scratching our way through…we just want OUT!!

I have been in seasons where things seemed too unbearable and uncomfortable, and I stayed in that season for what seemed like a lifetime! I often wondered, “God did you forget about me? Do you see what’s happening? How much longer to I have to go through this?”

If this sounds like you, take heart, because we serve a God that sees us!

He doesn’t want us to run away from our circumstances, because these circumstances are building the Godly character, integrity, and perseverance that are needed to be bold witnesses for Him and to be effective in His kingdom.

Just like Hagar, we have to go back and face it, and let God work out the details! We must allow God work on our character. He loves us enough to allow us to go through things that will produce Godlly character, purify and sanctify our hearts, and realize our need for him.

He sees you! He will vindicate you! He doesn’t need you to run, and He doesn’t need your help! He just needs your obedience!

He sees the countless tears that you have shed. As a matter of fact, he has a record of all of your tears and sorrows, and he has collected them in a bottle (Psalm 56:8).

He has heard your cry for help.

He has heard your plea for Him to intervene in your marriage.

He has seen the struggles and battles with things that have held you bound and discouraged for so long.

He has not forgotten you.

Hagar was obedient to the Lord and went back. However, she met El Roi again in Chapter 21 after the birth of Isaac. After Isaac was weaned, Sarah saw Ishmael mocking Isaac. Sarah told Abraham to send away Hagar and Ishmael.

This brought a great deal of distress to Abraham, but God spoke to him and told him to do as she wished. God promised Abraham that he would make Ishmael into a nation also, because Ishmael was Abraham’s seed.

So with a skin of water and some bread, Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away. They wandered into the Desert of Bersheba.

When the water in the skin was gone, she put Ishmael under a bush to get some relief from the sun. Hagar went a small distance from him, because she could not bear to watch him suffer and die. She began to cry.

In my mind’s eye, I can just imagine the conversation she must have been having with God. I would have been saying, “God, I didn’t ask for any of this. I was forced to be with Abraham and have his child. I was obedient to you and submitted to my mistress although she was treating me harshly. Now I am forced into the desert for me to watch my son die of thirst and heat exhaustion, then to die myself! God, I know you have seen me before, but do you see me now?”

Right when she thought all was lost, right when the situation seemed as hopeless as it could get, God stepped in. He spoked to her, He comforted her, and He reminded her of the promise that He made to her concerning her son. Then, he opened her eyes to a well of water.

No matter what you are going through, He sees you. He hears you. He remembers all of the promises that He made to you.. He just needs you to remember those promises and be obedient to Him!

In due time, He will rescue you! Not only is He the God that sees you, He is the God that saves you!

He knows what happened to you. He has seen it all. He has a purpose and a plan for your life, to give you hope and a future!

Hold your head up! You’re not a failure! You’re not forgotten! You’re not a cast away!

At the appointed time, the God who sees you will kick down the door and be the God that saves you!

Just hold on.