God Sees Us

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Scripture: Genesis 16:13 (NIV)

13 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.”

Devotion:

            The context of today's scripture is the narrative of Hagar, Sara’s slave, who had fled due to Sara’s mistreatment. What strikes us is the profound care God shows for Hagar in these verses. In the dialogue between the Angel of the Lord and Hagar that precedes this verse, God not only hears but also sees Hagar in her distress. He reveals to Hagar that she is with child and will bear a son named Ishmael. This revelation moves Hagar to the heartfelt exclamation we read in the verse above.

            Today, our culture does not do very well at genuinely seeing people for who they are. We are too engrossed in our phones and other devices to pay attention to other people. Our addiction to our devices can get so bad that not only do we not see and respond appropriately to other people, but we can even neglect our own needs. Books detailing this problem have been written but seldom provide real, tangible answers.

            I suggest our problem is that we have forgotten the truth proclaimed in this scripture verse. We have grown cold to God and have lost the sense of His immediate presence with each one of us. When was the last time you thought that God might see and care for you as an individual? We believe that we are anonymous just because there are billions of people on the earth. God, I contend, is vitally interested in each and every one of us. God knows our distress and longs to comfort us just as he comforted Hagar in today’s scripture.

            It is not too late for us, however. We can turn from our device addiction and open ourselves to God’s immeasurable love and care. We can be present to God and each other in new and vital ways. Just as Hagar went back and lived with Sara, we can listen to God and receive His love, realizing that He sees us and cares deeply about each one of us. If we ask God, He will let us know Him, our neighbor, and ourselves more deeply. The proclamation of the Angel that the Christ child would be known as Immanuel, God with us, can be our reality.

Let us pray not to hide from God but be open to His loving embrace.

Prayer:

            Heavenly Father, hear us when we pray. Help us, Lord, to realize that you desire an intimate relationship with us. You genuinely see us with both our gifts and our faults. You, O God, love and care for us because we are created in your image and designed for a relationship with you. Please help us break free from the bondage of our screens and notifications and pay attention to you and your word. May we worship you wholeheartedly. Thank you for seeing us as we truly are. Amen.        

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