The God Who Sees and Hears Us

The God Who Sees You: Finding Hope in Your Darkest Moments

 

In the 16th chapter of Genesis, we encounter a powerful story that often gets overlooked in Sunday school lessons - the story of Hagar. Her experience teaches us profound truths about God's character and how He relates to us in our most desperate moments.

 

Who Was Hagar and Why Does Her Story Matter?

 

Hagar was a slave with virtually no control over her own life. She didn't choose her clothes, her food, where she slept, or even when to be intimate. She was caught in a messy situation not of her making when Abraham and Sarah, trying to "help God" fulfill His promise of a child, brought her into an unholy arrangement.

When Hagar became pregnant, the situation grew unbearable. She fled into the desert with no destination in mind - she just knew she couldn't stay where she was anymore.

 

What Happens When We Feel We Can't Take Anymore?

 

Many of us have reached similar breaking points:

 

"I can't handle this struggle anymore"

"I'm emotionally overwhelmed"

"I'm spiritually drained"

"I can't handle the abuse or neglect"

 

Like Hagar, we sometimes just run, even when we have nowhere to go. We flee from what's killing us without a clear plan forward.

 

Does God Really See Me in My Pain?

 

In Hagar's moment of desperation, "the angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert." This divine messenger asked her two profound questions:

 

"Where have you come from?"

"Where are you going?"

 

These questions remind us to acknowledge both our past and our future. We all have been through difficult things - we're overcomers by God's grace. But God also wants us to consider where we're headed.

 

How Does God Respond When We're Running Away?

 

Surprisingly, God's messenger told Hagar to "go back" to the very situation she was fleeing. This seems counterintuitive, even cruel at first glance. But the messenger accompanied this difficult instruction with a promise: "I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count."

God wasn't sending her back alone - He was sending her back with a promise. He acknowledged her situation but assured her it wouldn't always be this way. Her son would be named Ishmael, which means "God hears."

 

What Does It Mean That God Sees and Hears Us?

 

Hagar's response to this encounter was profound. She called God "El Roi" - the God who sees me. She declared, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

When we're in our darkest moments, we often wonder if God is paying attention. Like Hagar, we might ask, "God, do you see what's happening to me?"

The beautiful truth is that God does see us:

 

He sees beyond our mess

He sees our heart when others only see our exterior

He sees something worth redeeming even when we can't love ourselves

He sees us as individuals even in a crowd

 

How Can I Trust That God Sees Me When Life Is Hard?

 

We know God sees us because:

 

He saw Hagar in her desperation

He saw Hannah when her pain was so great she couldn't form words

He saw the woman in the crowd when no one else could identify her

He sees further than our mess

 

Unlike people who only observe outward appearances, God looks at our hearts. And remarkably, He doesn't turn away from what He sees - He loves us anyway.

 

Life Application

 

This week, I challenge you to embrace two fundamental truths from Hagar's story:

 

Learn to love people as God loves them. As Jesus taught, loving God and loving others are the foundations of faith. If you struggle with this, ask God to develop the fruit of His Spirit in you, especially love.

 

Trust that God can do what He promises without your help. Abraham and Sarah's mistake was thinking God needed their assistance to fulfill His word. Remember: God doesn't need our help to be true to His word.

Ask yourself these questions:

 

In what situation do I need to remember that God sees me right now?

Where am I trying to "help God" instead of trusting His timing and methods?

Who in my life needs to know that God sees them in their struggle?

How might God be preparing to use my past struggles to help others?

 

Remember Hagar's testimony: even when no one else sees you or your pain, God does. He is El Roi - the God who sees you. And He doesn't just see you - He has a promise to sustain you through whatever you're facing.