Ohhhh! This is one of my favorite names. El Roi – the God Who Sees…His eyes are not shut, He has not left His post, He is not unaware. Have you ever wandered in the desert and felt like a throw-away, like Hagar did in Genesis 16? Whether you really have been cast aside or not is another matter, but feeling that way…feeling so unimportant, or overlooked, or even despised, unloved…this is truly the place where you feel you must have fallen off God’s radar completely. That was the way I felt at one point. I cried out for help and there was no help…there was just emptiness. No people to rescue me. No oasis in sight. Just barren wasteland. Had God forgotten me too? I thought He did. But little by little I realized that I had just stopped listening for His voice. Later, I read this passage (one I had read so many other times without taking notice), and Girls let me tell you, I wept. I was overwhelmed. I realized that He is El Roi. He had seen me in my wilderness. He never took His eyes off me. He never left me. I remember thinking, “He SEES me. He sees ME!“. With “seeing” me, came knowing me – I realized that He sees who we really are, what we really need, where we have been and where we are going. What a mighty God we serve!
So how does the story of Hagar relate to your life? Have you had any desert moments where you felt like you were wandering, lost in the wilderness? Have you come to know God as El Roi – the One who sees?
Please chat with me about this wonderful name of God…
JustaGirl…just like you!
Nicole says
Yes yes yes, felt left but always had to remind myself he was there. My journey only begain a year ago so I am so new at this. But before my journey I thought I knew him and now I really do! He is there and you are right, just have to listen sometimes harder than others!!!! Great point!