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The God Who Sees Me

Daily Reflection / Produced by The High Calling
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Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, "You are the God who sees me." She also said, "Have I truly seen the One who sees me?"

Genesis 16:13

Earlier in Genesis 16, Sarai had suggested to Abram that they solve the problem of her childlessness by having him impregnate her servant, Hagar. When this happened, however, Hagar looked down upon Sarai. In response, Sarai mistreated Hagar, causing Hagar to flee. But God looked upon her with compassion, promising to bless her with many descendents. In response, Hagar called God "The God Who Sees Me."

Knowing that God sees us can be both comforting and distressing. When we suffer, the fact that God sees us can bring comfort. But it can also raise the question of why, if God sees us, he doesn't reach out to help us. Doesn't God care? It can also be troubling to realize that God sees us when we sin. Nothing we do or say or think or feel or dream is hidden from him. God sees us all the time.

Because of Christ, we know not only that God sees us, but also that God looks upon us with compassion. He is not just some god who is "watching us from a distance" as the song proclaims. Rather he is a God who, because he sees us and cares for us, has come to be among us through Christ, so that he might have intimate relationship with us.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you feel about the fact that God sees you? Is this thought comforting? Reassuring? Scary? Familiar? New?

PRAYER: Psalm 139:1-6, 17-18
O LORD, you have examined my heart,
and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand! . . . How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me! Amen.