El-Roi

Invisible Do you ever feel that way?  No one sees you?  No one knows you?

I do.  Tucked away in my little corner of the world.  I wonder if anyone sees how hard I worked today.  Sees that my heart was broken.  That I wasn't sure how to deal with the life change.  I wonder if anyone sees that good decision I made.  Or even that bad one.  Is there anyone who even sees me enough to know what’s going on in my life?  Or am I invisible?  Or even worse, is the real me invisible?  Do they see me and judge me, but don’t really know me?  Don’t really see my soul?

When I first started looking at the names of God, this one jumped out immediately.

El-Roi - the God who sees.

The first time its used in the Bible is when Hagar talks to God.

Hagar.  Out in the desert.  Completely invisible.  Scorned and cast aside by those who should have loved her.  Those who should have taken care of her.  It says that Sarai dealt hardly with her.  All of this after Abraham and Sarai had wronged her!

Hagar was at the worst point in her life so far.  Pregnant and alone.  Out of options.  All of this not of her own doing.  After all, it was Abraham and Sarai who hatched this grand plan.  And then expected Hagar to deal with the consequences.

She stops at a well and an angel of the Lord comes to her.  Tells her what to do.  Gives her some promises.  Then says these comforting words…because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.

She responds by calling God El-Roi, Thou God seest me.  You know, if you read Hagar’s story, it doesn’t really get that much better for her.  But in all she went through, one thing stuck out to her.  That God saw her.  Really saw her.  And her affliction.  She didn’t call Him Provider or Saviour.  What really comforted her was that God saw her.

And God sees me.

And God sees you.

Even when things are hard.

Even when people misunderstand you.

God sees you.  And loves you.

God sees your broken heart, your rejection, your insecurities, your intentions, your hopes, your dreams, your defeats.  He sees the way that person treated you, your labour of love, your faithfulness in the small.

Do you feel invisible today?  Because you’re not.  Be comforted that our God is El-Roi, the God who sees.