The God who sees me

We all want to be recognized, loved, and understood at some point in our lives. Feeling rejected, inadequate, or misunderstood is not a pleasant place to be. We all want to be seen and loved when we are at our most vulnerable moment, which is why I felt it would be inspiring to share the story of a lady who was at her lowest moment. She is one we may have perceived as insignificant.

Until recently, if someone had asked me to describe the lady in the Bible known as "Hagar," I would have said that she was an Egyptian maid servant who was given to Sarah and then handed to Abraham in the hopes that she would bore him a child when Sarai was unable to conceive (Genesis 16). I went over her story again and thought, "Wow, it's so much more than that; she was more than just a maid who was used as a surrogate to bear a child for Abraham after Sarah had given up waiting on God for a child."

After Hagar found out that she had conceived Abram's child, she started to disrespect her boss, Sarai. Tension arose between her and Sarai. On the other side, Sarai became jealous of Hagar and accused her husband, Abram, of being to blame for the maltreatment she was receiving. She told Abram, "I put my maid in bed with you, and the minute she knows she's pregnant, she treats me like I'm nothing." I genuinely laughed because this is what our generation will refer to as "wahala," which means "trouble." Personally, I think Abram was not ready for drama that would have started, therefore, he told Sarai to treat her maid as she pleased. lol

After Hagar was maltreated by Sarai, she fled into the wilderness. While there, she had an encounter with an Angel of the Lord who told her to report back to Sarai, her boss, and submit to her. He also made promises to her for both herself and her unborn son (Genesis 16:10–12). Hagar went ahead to name the Lord, saying, "You are the God who sees me".

I have a very strong connection to Hagar's story. Although Hagar felt unimportant and unseen in her vulnerable position, God was with her. I've also experienced some of my worst days, when I couldn't even recognize my own worth and felt insignificant; days when I didn't feel like I fit in because of my imperfections; days when I put others before myself; However, this young woman's narrative exhibits the incredible kindness and affection of God. It serves as a constant reminder that God sees me and genuinely loves me. I've come to understand that nothing can ever compare to God's love. When I feel unseen, I constantly tell myself that God is present even though I cannot see Him, and that is sufficient for me to carry on. 

Considering the circumstances, one would assume that God would pay more attention to Sarai, the mother of the nation and the wife of “Father Abraham”, and disregard Hagar. God is a perfect father. He loved Abram, Sarai, and Hagar. God loved her, and that demonstrates how much He loves all of His children. That also brought to mind that God loves us even if other people don’t. 

God was with Hagar even as she endured pain and loneliness, He counseled her on what to do in addition to making her hopeful promises for her unborn child. She was accepted despite her flaws. It serves as a reminder that God is deeply concerned about us even on our worst days. At times, we must acknowledge the fact that we make mistakes, be willing to make amends, and also learn from them in order to improve and become a better person. God's first instruction to Hagar was to go back to her employer and submit. Hagar also had such strong confidence in God that she knew He could hear her even if no one else could.

What have you done that makes you feel you are not deserving of God's love? Even when no one sees you, God sees you. When you feel unloved, God loves you. God sees you even when you're a mess; even when you're at fault or at your worst, He understands you. Focus on God and don't depend on being accepted by others. God recognizes, accepts, and loves you.

I pray that today you will stand tall in the knowledge that you have a God who will never turn away from you. His love is so great that He is always with us. Sometimes it seems as though God only loves us when we are perfect. He thinks of you constantly. And I pray that we'll always do our best, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to obey God and avoid hurting Him. I want you to think of yourself as the priceless masterpiece of Abba.