The God of Seeing
- Cathrine Schmelzer
- Sep 24, 2024
- 2 min read
“God sees us when we don’t know what to do next. When we’re lost and confused, He gives us direction.”
“So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing’ for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.’” Genesis 16:13
The sixteenth chapter of Genesis is about a woman named Hagar. I’ll let you read the whole chapter, which tells her story, but the part we’ll pick out today is right after God finds Hagar in the wilderness, alone and pregnant, after she has fled from Sarai, her mistress who was harsh to Hagar.
The Bible does not say how Hagar felt. But I can imagine. She lived her life as a small part of the household of Abram, who became Abraham, the “father of all nations”. Do you think she felt inconsequential and small being around someone with such an important calling on his life? After fleeing the household, and running to the wilderness alone, I can only imagine how scared she must have been. She probably thought there was no one on earth who saw her or cared for her.
Have you ever found yourself in the wilderness, alone, scared and pregnant? Ok, maybe not the last one (although, maybe yes, the last one too), but I think we’ve all been through seasons where we feel alone in the wilderness, wondering what our next steps should be.
Wondering if anyone out there can see us. Does anyone care?
Thank God we’re not actually alone. God sees us the same way He saw Hagar during her darkest moments. The angel of the Lord saw her there, met her there, and gave her direction for her next steps. God sees us when we don’t know what to do next. When we’re lost and confused, He gives us direction.
He sees you, mom. Even if you’re sitting beside a spring of water in the wilderness, the God of seeing sees you and looks after you.
Action steps:
My family is currently in a season of needing God’s direction. I’ve had “Ask, Seek, Knock” by Hillsong Kids (yes, a song for kids!) on repeat lately. If you’re also lost in the wilderness, remember the God of seeing sees you. Read Matthew 7:7 for a reminder of how good God is.
If you need a reminder of how much God not only sees you, but loves you, read Romans 5:8, write it on a post-it, hang it somewhere you’ll see it often.
Prayer: God, I pray for the mom reading this. I pray that whatever season she’s in, wilderness, valley, or mountain, she feels seen. I pray that she feels You near, that she knows she’s seen, cared for, and most of all, loved. In Your name I pray, amen.
Written by Cathrine, mom of 4