The God Who Sees
I love a new year. I think it’s the idea of a clean slate that I love so much, and I love starting things all over again. I do this in some form, every year, in my daily Bible reading.
Before I write even one more word, I want to encourage you in reading your Bible. This was something I did not do until I hit my mid-twenties, and I missed out on so much. I also want to encourage you to have a plan because this helps with being consistent. It’s okay to miss a day here and there, but don’t let too long pass by without picking up your Bible and reading.
This year, I am reading through the Bible chronologically again, along with a lot of the women in my church. I am an avid reader, and I think the chronological order makes more sense, at least to me. You can purchase a Bible that is already divided up for such reading, or you can read along on an app. Whichever way you read is fine; the main thing is that we all need to be reading the word of God on a daily basis.
One day last week I came across the story of Sarai and Hagar, in Genesis 15-16. I’ll quickly summarize the story for you. God promised Abram that he would be the father of many nations and Sarai would bear him a son. Sarai was getting older though, as was Abram, and she was doubtful. She took matters into her own hands and gave Hagar to her husband, because maybe God would fulfill His promise to Abram through Hagar. Abram “knew” Hagar, and they conceived a child. When Sarai saw how much Abram loved this son, Sarai grew jealous and demanded Hagar and the child be sent away. The Bible even says that Sarai harshly treated Hagar.
So, with no choice in the matter, Hagar took her son, and they fled to the wilderness. But an angel of the Lord found them there and told Hagar to go back and to submit to Sarai. He then gave Hagar the name Ishmael for her son, and he told her a little about the future of the child. Right after that happened, the Bible tells us that Hagar called on the name of the Lord who spoke to her, and she called out to Him, “You-Are-The-God-Who-Sees.”
There is a lot that I left out, so I hope you go to Genesis 15-16 to read for yourself, but this story resonates deeply within me, and I think it probably will with you as well.
Have you ever felt like everyone was against you?
Ever felt alone?
Have you ever felt like no one cares?
Ever felt used up and carelessly discarded?
I have.
I have felt isolated and alone. I have felt discarded and maybe even a little being taken advantage of. But looking back to that dark time in my life, I know God moved in my life. I can look at the old journal entries and read about how it seemed as if everyone in my life was stripped away from me, and all I had was God. When I was in the midst of that time, God made me crave His word. I would sit and read it for hours and it was never enough. I listened to the sermons spoken by a pastor in my area. I would read books written by pastors I knew and trusted, and I would test what they said using the Bible as my plumb line.
The Lord knew that before things got better in my life, they would get a lot worse. But before the worst happened, He prepared me for it, but I had no idea back then. By the time the bottom dropped from the sky above me, I knew His word. I had studied and memorized it, and my faith was strong. The ground beneath my feet may have been a little shaky at first, but very quickly, the Lord strengthened me again. He stood with me and I feel as if He held me up.
Don’t you think He did that for Hagar when that angel from the Lord told her to go back and submit to Sarai? Surely, that was not easy! But the angel had given her instructions, and she recognized that the Lord Himself was watching over her. I’m fairly certain that is why she called Him the God Who Sees.
He saw Hagar alone in the wilderness with her baby. He saw me when I felt alone, isolated and unimportant. He sees you too. Do you trust Him? I know it’s hard to trust the Lord when your life is in turmoil.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:5-6
Once we fully trust Him with everything in our lives, He gives us peace. He calms the storm; comforts us like only He can. It requires trust from us, though. It also requires surrender. However, once we trust Him with something, we don’t need to keep picking it up again and worrying about it all the time.
He sees every struggle you face. He knows every single obstacle in your way. He knows how you are tempted to let your guard down when you’re all alone. He knows all of this and He cares for you. He cares for all of us. All you have to do is pray. It sounds so simple and it is, but I think that often we use it as our last resort. I know I’ve been guilty of that, but I’m working on it in this new year as well.
Want to join me in reading the Bible this year? Time with the Lord is important and it’s absolutely crucial for us to know the Lord and to learn how to handle life’s problems. Everything we need answers for is found right within the pages of this Holy Book - the Bible.
A closing prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word. You are still the God Who Sees, just like Hagar called upon You when she was alone in the wilderness. You see us in our struggles, and You never leave us to deal with things on our own. You are always there to give us wisdom, You provide us with godly counsel, and You never grow weary of our prayers. Help our faith in You to be strong, Lord. Strengthen us in these days ahead and as You have been faithful to us, help us to be faithful to You. I love You, Lord, and ask all this in Your strong and holy name. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When Jennifer isn't focusing on her family of her husband and four (almost) grown sons, she is passionate about leading women to a deeper knowledge of and relationship with Jesus, through the reading of the Bible and through prayer. After years of serving in student ministry, the Lord pulled her out of that and planted her solidly in the women's ministry within her local church. She leads a small group on Wednesday nights, and together they study the word of God verse by verse, and book by book of the Bible. She loves to write, and you can find her sharing regularly on her blog, Overflowing With Thanksgiving. She also loves to sing and to help lead worship at her church, and will always be a choir girl at heart. You can find out more about her and her hobbies on her favorite social media outlet Instagram, as JenLloydGoodwin.