Hagar's God

Recently, I have started reading a book/devotional called "Praying the Names of God" by Ann Spangler.  Hondurans LOVE naming their businesses different names of God (to show their faith) and since being back I wanted to be intentional about learning the different names of God and how each name is unique to His relationship with us.  I have found the commentary and the reflection to be so good for my soul.  I'm learning as much about myself as I am about the faces of God.


El Roi: The God Who Sees Me

The author emphasizes that this name was only used ONCE in the Bible - when Hagar was alone in the desert after being dismissed by Abraham.  Hagar cried out to God and He saw her in her distress. 

But it wasn't necessary for Hagar to cry out to God because God already saw her.  He knew her.  He was fully aware of what had happened in her past, what was happening in her present, and what would happen in her future. 

God knew Hagar because He saw her.
God knows us because He sees us.

And God knows EVERYTHING...

I took a few things away during my time of reflection and meditation on God's name.

1)  He is the God who SEES us , NOT the God who WATCHES us.

This is especially important in today's society.  When someone is watching us, we feel a little anxious that we may do something wrong.  It's intimidating to have someone say "I'm watching you".  God is not like that.  He is not waiting for us to make a mistake so that He can jump in and punish us.  Rather, God sees us.  He sees us when we feel invisible or worthless.  He sees us when no body else does.  God takes notice of us.

2) God seeing everything we do means that we can hide NOTHING from Him.

God sees the good we do.  He takes notice of us when others don't.  He also sees the sins we try to hide from the world.  He sees us when we wrestle with making decisions.  He sees us when we are trying to be unseen.  We cannot hide from God's seeing eyes.

God sees us because He knows us.  God sees us because He loves us.

God could turn a blind eye to us.  He could throw His hands up in frustration after we've sinned for the trillionth time.  But He doesn't.  He continues to see us and to know us.  He does this because He loves us.

El Roi never sleeps, He never misses a beat.  El Roi sees our past, present, and future.  El Roi - the God who only appeared one time in the Bible - is the God who is with us today.

And as Ann Spangler puts it "El Roi is on the lookout for men and women totally committed to Him because He wants to strengthen their hearts as they serve Him".

God is on the lookout, are we doing everything in our power to make what He is seeing worthwhile, holy and worthy of Him?