The God Who Sees

Track 1 00:00:01

She was an Egyptian slave with no voice, no status,

Track 1 00:00:05

and no power. Hagar belonged to Sarah, the wife of Abraham. When

Track 1 00:00:11

Sarah couldn't have children, she gave Hagar to Abraham to

Track 1 00:00:13

bear a child on her behalf, a common but painful practice in

Track 1 00:00:17

that culture. Hagar was used for someone else's plan. When Hagar

Track 1 00:00:23

became pregnant, tension exploded. Sarah treated her so

Track 1 00:00:28

harshly that Hagar did the only thing she knew to do. She ran.

Track 1 00:00:32

She was alone and pregnant, a foreign slave woman with nowhere

Track 1 00:00:36

to go, wandering in the wilderness, no resources and no

Track 1 00:00:40

protection. And then, beside a spring in the desert, something

Track 1 00:00:45

unexpected happened. The angel of the Lord found her, not by

Track 1 00:00:49

accident, but on purpose. He called her by name, Hagar, slave

Track 1 00:00:54

of Sarah. He knew exactly who she was and where she had come

Track 1 00:00:58

from. But why would God go looking for a runaway slave girl

Track 1 00:01:03

that everyone else had forgotten?

Track 1 00:01:08

Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I am Bart Leger, and

Track 1 00:01:13

today we're talking about something that cuts pretty deep.

Track 1 00:01:16

That is, feeling overlooked, forgotten, and maybe unseen by

Track 1 00:01:20

the people around us. It could be at work, where your efforts

Track 1 00:01:24

go unnoticed. It might be at home, where you carry burdens no

Track 1 00:01:27

one asks about. Maybe it's in your own heart, where you wonder

Track 1 00:01:31

if anyone, even God, really sees what you're going through.

Track 1 00:01:35

Here's the truth most of us forget when we feel invisible.

Track 1 00:01:38

God doesn't overlook anyone. Not the powerful, not the forgotten,

Track 1 00:01:44

and not the one society ignores. And certainly, not you. Today's

Track 1 00:01:49

verse is Genesis 16, 13. Thereafter, Hagar used another

Track 1 00:01:55

name to refer to the Lord who had spoken to her. She said, You

Track 1 00:01:59

are the God who sees. She also said, Have I truly seen the one

Track 1 00:02:04

who sees me? What Hagar did was she gave God a name that day, El

Track 1 00:02:10

Roy, the God who sees. This is the only place in all of

Track 1 00:02:14

Scripture where a person gives God a new name. And it didn't

Track 1 00:02:18

come from a king or a prophet. It came from a pregnant slave

Track 1 00:02:21

girl in the desert who had been mistreated, cast aside, and who

Track 1 00:02:25

was completely alone. Think about what that means. In her

Track 1 00:02:30

lowest moment, invisible to the world, and running away with no

Track 1 00:02:34

plan, she was carrying the weight of rejection. What God

Track 1 00:02:37

did was He showed up. Not with judgment or a lecture, but with

Track 1 00:02:42

His presence. He saw her, and He spoke her name. He gave her a

Track 1 00:02:47

promise and a purpose. And He does the same for you. You may

Track 1 00:02:51

feel unseen at your job where you give and give and no one

Track 1 00:02:54

seems to notice. You may feel invisible in your family,

Track 1 00:02:58

carrying burdens silently while everyone else moves on. You may

Track 1 00:03:02

feel forgotten in your faith, wondering if your prayers are

Track 1 00:03:05

hitting the ceiling and going no further. But El Roy, the God who

Track 1 00:03:09

sees, hasn't lost track of you. He sees the late nights. He sees

Track 1 00:03:14

the quiet tears. And He sees the struggle you haven't told anyone

Track 1 00:03:19

else about. He sees the weight you carry and the questions

Track 1 00:03:22

you're afraid to ask out loud. And He meets you right where you

Track 1 00:03:26

are. That's where Hagar's story comes back in. God didn't just

Track 1 00:03:31

comfort her. He gave her direction. He told her to return

Track 1 00:03:34

and submit to Sarah. But He also gave her an incredible promise.

Track 1 00:03:39

Her son, Ishmael, would become the father of a great nation.

Track 1 00:03:42

Her story wasn't over. And her pain wasn't pointless. The God

Track 1 00:03:46

who saw her also had a plan for her. Hagar obeyed and she went

Track 1 00:03:52

back. And she carried with her something she didn't have before.

Track 1 00:03:55

The knowledge that she had been seen by the living God. That

Track 1 00:04:00

transformed her identity. She wasn't just a forgotten slave

Track 1 00:04:03

anymore. She was a woman known and loved by El Roy. And here's

Track 1 00:04:08

what I want you to hold on to today. Being seen by God doesn't

Track 1 00:04:12

always mean your circumstances will change immediately. Hagar

Track 1 00:04:16

still had to go back to a hard situation. But she went back

Track 1 00:04:20

different. Because now she knew she wasn't invisible. And the

Track 1 00:04:24

same is true for you. Your struggle may not disappear

Track 1 00:04:27

tomorrow. And the people around you may still overlook you. But

Track 1 00:04:30

the God of the universe sees you. He knows your name. And He is

Track 1 00:04:34

with you in whatever wilderness you may find yourself in. Here's

Track 1 00:04:38

today's challenge. Take a few minutes to sit with this truth.

Track 1 00:04:42

God sees you. Not your performance or your title. Not

Track 1 00:04:46

what you produce. If you've been carrying something heavy and

Track 1 00:04:49

feeling invisible, just tell Him about it. Out loud if you can.

Track 1 00:04:53

He's not surprised. And He's not too busy. He's the God who sees.

Track 1 00:04:58

And if you know someone else who feels unseen right now, a

Track 1 00:05:01

co-worker, a neighbor, maybe a friend, be the presence of God

Track 1 00:05:05

to them today. Text them. Call them. A moment of real attention

Track 1 00:05:11

is what you can give them today. sometimes God's way of seeing

Track 1 00:05:14

someone is through you. Lord, thank you for being the God who

Track 1 00:05:19

sees. When I feel invisible, remind me that you know my name.

Track 1 00:05:23

When I feel forgotten, help me to remember that you met Hagar

Track 1 00:05:26

in the desert, and you meet me too. Open my eyes to see others

Track 1 00:05:30

the way you see them. I trust that you are with me, even when

Track 1 00:05:34

no one else notices. In Jesus' name, Amen. Don't miss

Track 1 00:05:39

tomorrow's episode. Click follow on your favorite podcast app.

Track 1 00:05:44

Thanks for joining me today on Daily Devotions for Busy Lives.

Track 1 00:05:48

Remember, you are not invisible. You are seen, known, and loved

Track 1 00:05:52

by El Roy, the God who sees. Come back next time for more

Track 1 00:05:56

encouragement to help you live grounded in God's truth. Until

Track 1 00:06:00

then, God bless, and have a great day.