“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’”—Genesis 16:13 (NIV)

“His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.”—Luke 1:67–75 (NIV) 

What would you say it feels like to be seen? Maybe it feels scary to you. You don’t want people to know your struggles and weaknesses. Maybe it feels freeing to you. You don’t like feeling forgotten or misunderstood. At the end of the day, I think we all want to feel seen, but the real reason we want to be seen is because we want to be deeply loved. When someone can see you for who you truly are and still love you, you’re tasting the divine love of God in a human relationship! But that love can only fully and perfectly be received from God Himself.

What if I told you that one of God’s names is El Roi, the God who sees? What does that make you think? This is actually the first specific name someone gives God in the Bible. In Genesis 16, we find a servant named Hagar running away from Abraham and Sarah because of the neglect and mistreatment she was experiencing. Sarah made her get pregnant with Abraham in an attempt to speed up or control God’s plan. In the midst of her pain, injustice, and suffering, God personally encounters her and promises she will have many descendants. She chooses to trust, obey, and worship Him because He saw her. She’s the first one recorded to have given God this beautiful name, but it’s a name that points forward to His faithfulness to see His people time and time again.

When Jesus entered the world, He didn’t come in a flashy or showy way. Not very many people saw and witnessed His birth, but God chose to invite ordinary and excluded people to come and see instead. The shepherds of the field were the first to both hear and see the newborn Savior! God chose to see them when no one else did. In the same way, Jesus came to earth because He saw our need for a Savior. 

My friend, God sees you in what may seem like a hopeless situation and wants you to see that He’s brought you access to freedom. You can experience redemption because El Roi sees you, and He sent Jesus for you, too!

Put It to Practice: Pray

Prayer is about talking to God. You can pray anywhere, whether you’re in the car, in your room, or walking in the grocery store! You can pray on your own in quiet or with others. You can pray out loud to God or in written words. You can kneel, sit, walk, you name it, and God will be there to listen and communicate with you. Today, practice prayer by asking God to:

• Show you how He sees you
• Give you eyes to see others who need hope today

For the Family

Today’s Main Idea: Because God sees me, He sent Jesus to free me.

Ask Together: 

1. How does it make you feel to know God sees you and what you’re going through?
2. What’s one way you can help someone else feel seen and loved by God today?

Prayer

Lord, you are El Roi, the God who sees! Thank you for seeing me and everybody. Not only do you see me, but you love me and care for me. I pray You will help me to see the world through Your eyes and to be kind and courageous in helping others see You, too. Amen.