4 minute read
El Roi ... the God Who Sees Me
by Lisa Hathaway
Our Personal God
Your God is so personal; He knows each move you make, the tears you cry, the thoughts in your head, and your heartache and pain. Yet He is the same God who moves mountains, parted the seas, turned a snake into a rod, brought a ram for a sacrifice, and protected Moses in the basket floating down the river.
When I sit in silence with my thoughts, I am awestruck at how the God of the universe—whose power stretched the withered hand, made blind eyes see, and healed a woman who had been sick for 12 years—sees me, knows ALL my needs, and meets me in the most personal, sweet space.
I am constantly amazed that God lavishes His goodness on us even when we don’t deserve it. He CHOOSES you and me every day. He prunes us, providing beautiful fruit after the hard season. He is the ultimate gardener— planting seeds in us and providing good soil for us to flourish in—but goodness gracious, He can prune! Our God wants so much more from us, and He brings it to fruition because His mighty hand is on our souls.
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 ESV)
Even when we can’t see Him or feel Him, our God never stops working, meeting each of us at such a personal level. That is the most beautiful thing about our Jesus—He sees us and is so faithful. When we take the scales off our eyes and look at all He has done for us, we can’t help but be awed at how He moves. In mighty, mighty ways, He moves. We must intentionally keep our eyes open, always watching for how He is moving—which will not always be exactly how we want. Our God can catch us by surprise, but we can trust that His ways and His timing are always perfect. He is never late and never early. He is just perfect.
At times, I have longed for a tangible sign that God has not left me. And when I’ve asked, He has always provided— through a friend, a worship song, a stranger, or a family member. He gives me “God hugs,” as I like to call them, offering me hope that He is with me and is keeping His promises. If you ask Him, He will give them to you, too.
Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. (Genesis 28:15 ESV)
Life is hard. Life can be challenging. But life is also sweet and can be so rewarding.
Cling to the promises of God and seek direction when you feel alone. He has created you for a purpose—a purpose that He longs to share with you. Look at life through the lens of His love for you. He wants an intimate and personal relationship with you. God will pursue you and chase you down—because He won’t be satisfied even if one of us gets away.
If a man has a hundred sheep, and one wanders away and is lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others and go out into the hills to search for the lost one? And if he finds it, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine others safe at home! Just so, it is not my Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18: 12-14 TLB)
God will do anything to bring you back to Him; you are that valuable and cherished. Just look for Him. He is there.
He sees you.
