13 She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “You’re the God who sees me!
“Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!”
14 That’s how that desert spring got named “God-Alive-Sees-Me Spring.” That spring is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.
Genesis 16: 13-14 The Message
The story of Abraham and Sarah reads a bit like a soap opera. God has promised Abraham that he will be the father of a great nation. Sarah, his wife, decides to hurry up the process out of her fear and lack of faith in the Lord. She believes that she is too old to have a child, so she has her maid servant Hagar sleep with Abraham. Hagar gets pregnant.
Now you have two women, one who wants to be pregnant, and one who is. As the story goes on, Hagar doesn’t help herself by rubbing it in Sarah's face and forgetting that she, Hagar, is the servant. Sarah’s jealousy and fear make things go from bad to worse, and she finally kicks Hagar out, in the middle of the desert.
Hagar is now in a very desperate situation. All alone in the wilderness and expecting a child, she prays to the Lord. Hagar is literally out of options.
What happens next, is an affirmation to all of us. God hears her prayer, which both blesses and surprises her. Here, she exclaimed excitedly, “You’re the God who sees me!” Not only that, but she sees the Lord. Not literally, but in a spiritual sense. God provides for her, and she eventually gives birth to Ishmael. Eventually, Sarah becomes pregnant, too, thereby fulfilling the Lord’s promise. But that’s another story…
Like water to a parched soul, God hears our desperate prayers. He does see us, each and every day. He sees our pain and suffering as well as our joy. Even when the world ignores us, God never does.
So often the world seems to ignore the weak, those with little to offer, and those who are alone in the desert. The beauty of this passage is that it reminds us that God never ignores anyone who calls upon Him.
What a wonderful reminder this scripture is for all of us! Even in a world which often ignores the less fortunate, God is always there. We can always bring our pain to Him, or share our praises with Him. He is always just a prayer away. What a blessing it is that we and blessed by, and worship “the God who sees me”.
Prayer
God our refuge and strength,
Thank You for being ever present with me, especially when I feel marginalized and ignored by the world. I thank You for always seeing me, and for sharing my pain and my joy. Help me to never be that person who walks by the hurting. May I see the Hagars of the world, and share with them the strength You offer to me, and to everyone who calls upon You. I praise You for Your steadfast Love and patience, in the name of the one who came to seek and save the lost, Jesus Christ. Amen
PS. Due to being on study leave, I will not be sending out a devotional next week. I plan to resume the devotionals on Monday, October 4.
