July 20th, 2022

The God Who Sees Us

Psalm 33:18 NIV

"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine."

      When I first became a mom, I had a lot of life changes that I had to adjust to. Not only was I a new mom, but I was new to the stay-at-home mom life. From the time I could drive, I always held at least one full-time job, but once I hit my senior year of high school, I was working three jobs at one time. While the workforce wasn't my favorite thing in the world, I enjoyed the socialization and adult interaction. From my co-workers to my customers and residents, I felt seen. People would always come through the restaurant and ask how I was doing, or my residents at the nursing home would always want to chat about the weather. So, going without that social stimulation immediately took its toll on me. I felt alone. I felt isolated. I felt unseen. But here's the thing: We're not alone. We are not unseen.

      Hagar, the female slave of Sarah and the mother of Abraham's firstborn son Ishmael, felt this way too. After Sarah encouraged Abraham to sleep with her slave, Hagar, in hopes she would bear him a child on her behalf, Hagar conceived. Out of her insecurity, Sarah mistreated Hagar to the point that she fled. Alone, pregnant, afraid, and sitting in the desert, this slave lady, this outside of our faith, was visited by an angel bringing her news that the Lord had seen her in her misery. Now this woman was on the lower end of the totem pole. She was a slave with no family to run to and her owner despised her. Essentially, she was a piece of property, and by no means would she have considered herself a child of the God of Abraham. But God saw her. He saw the ugly mess she was in. He saw her misery. He saw her being mistreated. And though she was an outsider, God used her to play a role in His great plan. And in return, she named our God, "The God Who Sees Me," (Genesis 16:13). Friends, God sees even the least of us. And if we're willing enough to turn our hearts to His watching eyes, He can offer us the same promises that He offered Hagar.