Day 5

03 Feb Day 5

El-roi – The God who sees me

WRITTEN BY: Adrienne Abrenica

Scripture: Genesis 16:13-14 NLT– “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?’ So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means ‘well of the Living One who sees me’). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.”

El-roi, or “the God who sees me” is listed in the footnotes of Genesis 16:13. To learn the entire story, read all of Genesis 16.

Observation: Even when we can not see him, God sees us in our distress and is working for our good. You are loved, you are cared for, and you are not alone.

Application: Mistreated, lied to, deceived? Feeling like you are not acknowledged and not understood? Who are we to trust? How are we supposed to experience joy with so much darkness in our world? What if you knew you had the God who sees you for you, right by your side every day?

In this chapter of Genesis, Hagar fled from a situation where she was deceived and mistreated, only to find herself talking to the angel of the Lord—Jesus! (Genesis 16:7-8). Hagar was the servant of Sarai and Abram, who God would later name Sarah and Abraham. God had promised Abram children to build a great nation, but he was nearly 100 years old, and they still had no children because Sarai could not conceive. Since she was sick of waiting, Sarai took matters into her own hands. Does this sound familiar? Have you ever gotten to a point where you want to follow your own timeline and not wait on God’s timing? I know I have! Sarai had Hagar conceive with Abram in order to give them children. What a situation! This led Hagar to despise Sarai and then her suffering mistreatment by Sarai, her master. In spite of being pregnant, Hagar fled her abuser, putting herself and her unborn child in a very vulnerable situation. Lost, used, and hopeless.

Can you think of a time when you felt misused by someone who you considered to be close to you? Or when you felt guilt or shame because of your actions? Maybe you’ve felt like you don’t deserve blessings because of sins from your past or because you are not “perfect” in the present. Hagar certainly was in a difficult emotional situation. But through all of this, the angel of the Lord, Jesus himself, shows himself to Hagar! He acknowledged her and her situation. Even though she sinned, he blessed her. When she cried out, he heard her. When she felt lost, he saw her. She gave him the name El-roi, or the God who sees me, as he comforted her during a trying time when she felt like she was less than.

When we feel forgotten and invisible to everyone else, God still sees us. He sees our struggles and comes alongside us. If you look back over your past prayer requests, do you see how God has moved in your life? In the moment, we may feel like he is not there and has left us alone, but looking back provides insight into how good he has been to us in our times of struggle. If you think you’ve strayed too far from God, know that Jesus sees you the same way he saw Hagar; as someone worthy of love and forgiveness. He blesses us daily, El-roi sees even our basic needs, and continuously provides.

So where do you see God at in your life? Do you see him as a distant image or as a gentle and loving Father looking you straight in the face? Remember that El-roi sees you, even when you may not feel his presence. He can rescue you from your past sins and hurt. Turn towards him and watch how he blesses you in any circumstance.

Prayer: El-roi, how amazing it is to know that you see me no matter my situation. You know what will happen far before I do, and you see me right where I am. You are there to rescue me when I feel lost. You acknowledge my emotions and continue to show me love regardless of how alone, hurt, or guilty I feel. I cannot thank you enough for your forgiveness, your love, and your kindness to me. I pray that you continue to see me for who I am, a child of yours. In Jesus name, Amen.

Adrienne Abrenica/Communications Team, Social Media Content Team Leader

Adrienne started gathering at The Journey during 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting in 2022 and the rest is history! Finding her niche on the Social Media team, she recently became a team leader for that area and is currently a student in JLI (Journey Leadership Institute). Working as a Nurse Practitioner, Adrienne has a dream to start a Street Medicine program within Journey City. Adrienne enjoys lifting weights, cycling, traveling, and cooking. She lives with her husband and their adorable pit bull in Newark, DE.

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Next Steps:

I encourage you to read more in Genesis, particularly Chapter 21 and Chapter 25, to see how God fulfilled his promises to Hagar and her son.

Join us tomorrow for Day 6!

Dive deeper with The God Who Sees, a three day devotional from YouVersion.

Want to know more about this topic? Check out this message from the recent You Matter. series by our Lead Pastor, Mark Johnston!