The God Who Sees You
Do you ever feel invisible? Can you think of a time when you felt unseen? When the real you went unnoticed or perhaps you felt altogether overlooked? You may wonder, “Have I ever been seen?”
Much like a virus, the symptoms of loneliness vary per individual. In my life, they have changed over time. Seasons changed but one thing remained: in a room full of people, even energetic college students, I felt completely alone–unknown and unseen.
The Plague of Loneliness
Loneliness. It plagues us all—tall, short, thin, chunky, young, middle-aged, old…no one is immune to it. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a vaccine against it?! One quick poke as a child and we would be immune to loneliness forever!
This world can make us feel so isolated and utterly alone. We are left wanting, wishing, hoping beyond hope for just ONE person to notice us.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was just ONE person in this world who really knew you? Just one who understood what made you different? Just one who knew what made you-YOU?
Because this world can make us feel so alone, we can begin to believe that God doesn’t notice us either. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
God Always Sees Us
The Bible tells of a woman named Hagar who met God in a time of desperate need and loneliness.
God promised Abram (later Abraham) that he would father many nations. But, when Abram’s wife, Sarai, realizes she can’t become pregnant, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Sarai gives her servant, Hagar, to Abram and Hagar becomes pregnant. Though this was Sarai’s plan, tensions soon mount between her and Hagar (shocker, right?!). To get the complete picture, read Genesis 15.
I am not a jealous woman, but I can tell you for certain that I would NOT be ok sharing my husband with another! Is it really a surprise that tensions mount within Abram’s “family”? It is no surprise at all that Sarai begins to “suffer” as a result of her own choices. Perhaps the saddest part of it all is the way Hagar suffers.
Sarai mistreats Hagar and she flees (verse 6).
I can only imagine…
Can you imagine Hagar’s situation and having no control over your life? Can you imagine being given to a man to bear his child and then mistreated when you did what was required of you? How desperately alone Hagar must have felt!
Hagar may have felt lonely, but she was never really alone.
Five Things We Can Learn From Hagar’s Situation
1. We are never truly alone.
Like Hagar, we may FEEL alone, but God is there with us. He sees our situation and longs to help us overcome the obstacles that we face.
2. God wants to meet with us.
The angel of the Lord didn’t just SEE Hagar, he MET with her. Likewise, we can be confident that God will show up—not because he has to but because he WANTS to.
3. Obedience is essential.
Hagar could have continued on the path she was on, but she chose to obey the angel of the Lord even though it meant things would be difficult for her.
4. Obedience leads to blessings.
Hagar was promised a future, but it required obedience.
“I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.” (verse 10)
I don’t think she is going to feel lonely for too long! A promise was made but for it to be fulfilled, Hagar had to walk in obedience.
5. Comfort can be found in El Roi—“The God Who Sees”.
Genesis 15:13 “You are the God who sees me…I have now seen the One who sees me.”
Like Hagar, we may feel alone in our current situation, but God sees us. He is El Roi—the God who sees. Isn’t it comforting to know that we have a God who sees us amidst our circumstances? God sees us in our present situation and he also sees our future. Hagar would not experience immediate relief from her situation, but she found hope and comfort in the God who promised her a future.
Hagar’s response is noteworthy. God saw and spoke; Hagar listened and responded. She went back to Abram and Sarai, gave birth, named her child Ishmael (God sees me) and Lived in the promise of God’s faithfulness.
The Reality of the Situation
I like to think that I am a strong woman and that I could have been obedient in this situation, but I think I would have rebelled. I cannot imagine going back to Sarai and Abram. I would have always felt overlooked or like I was in second place. Maybe Hagar did too. I don’t know. What I do know is that she was obedient in what was asked of her and was blessed for it.
Hagar lived in COMPLETE obedience and found comfort in God. I would like to say that I am completely obedient to God, but often I find myself living in partial-obedience–doing just enough to appear obedient. For example, I do not always enjoy going to church. My husband and I joke that I have an aversion to it. Why? I feel unseen. My deepest longing is to be known and if this can’t happen within my church family, where will it? Sure, people say hi and feign interest in my life, but it rarely goes beyond the walls of that cinder block room. The clock ticks 12:30 pm and we all go our separate ways until the next week when we gather inside the same room and repeat the same meaningless dialogue. Like Hagar, I WANT MORE. I want to be seen, to be known and to LIVE LIFE with my (church) family. Out of obedience I go to church and go through all the expected motions, but often my heart isn’t in it.
Praise God!
Praise God that he knows our hearts and still loves us. He sees us in our situation and desires to know us. You can be confident that you will find comfort in El Roi–the God who sees you.
Psalm 9:10 is an encouragement to me and a reminder of God’s presence.
“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
When you are feeling alone and discouraged, remember you are never truly alone.
Do you struggle with loneliness? While it may feel like a curse, it can also be a gift in your life. To learn more about how loneliness can be a gift, read “The Gift of Loneliness”.