God Sees You
In the midst of an uncertain season in your life, have you ever wondered if God sees you? Have you ever been tempted to ask God the age old question, “Do you even care?” I have. When you’re walking through a hard season, it is very easy to believe that God has somehow abandoned you. It’s easy to believe that He has left you alone to fend for yourself amidst the difficulty and uncertainty. A few nights ago, I felt this way. I really struggled to believe that God saw me in the midst of my pain. I thought, if God did see me, then why am I still suffering? Surely, a good Father would bring the healing and wholeness that I desperately desired. In the midst of my questions, I prayed. I asked God not only for strength in the midst of my weakness, but to help me to have the right perspective in the midst of what felt like a wilderness season.
As I prayed, I was reminded of the story of Hagar in Genesis 16. Hagar fled from her mistress Sarai and ended up in the desert, or for the sake of this blog, in the wilderness. I’m sure she felt uncertain, abandoned and afraid during this time. The thing is, Hagar was technically the “other woman” in this scenario. She was actually Sarai’s slave, but Sarai encouraged Hagar to lay with her husband Abram, so that he could have a son. However, after Hagar became pregnant, as expected, issues arose between the two women within the household. Genesis 16:6 (NIV) says, “...Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.” Hagar left, probably scorned and broken. What I love most about Hagar’s story is the fact that even though she would have been shunned and ignored by most in the midst of her pain, God saw her. He saw her right in the midst of the wilderness that she found herself in. Genesis 16: 7-8 (NIV) says, “The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” Hagar responded by telling Him that she was running away from Sarai; but, the angel of the Lord instructed her to return to where she had fled from because He would take care of her. He assured her that she was not alone and that He saw her in the midst of her pain. In response to these beautiful truths from God, Hagar said, in Genesis 16:13 (NIV), “‘You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.’” Isn’t that beautiful?
After I was reminded of this passage of scripture, God assured me that just like He saw Hagar in the midst of her pain, He sees me and most importantly, He cares. My pain never goes unnoticed in His eyes. He will never abandon me because I am loved by Him. I came here to remind you of the same thing. God sees you right where you are. You have not been abandoned. He did not leave you to fend for yourself in the midst of your pain. He sees you and He will rescue you. Continue to trust Him. Continue to hold on to His word. Continue to rest in Him, because He who began the good work will surely complete it in your life (Philippians 1:6).
Remember this truth as you face the remainder of this day and the days to come: God sees you.