Introduction
Sometimes in life, we feel so unseen. Life gets hard, trials come, and it feels like everyone’s lives are flying by so fast, leaving us to feel as if we are left behind in the dust and forgotten. The beautiful truth, though, is that there is always Someone Who sees us, at every moment of every day – God Himself. He is the God who sees me.
Not only does He see us, but El Roi, “The God Who Sees”, is actually one of His very names. This is a big deal because it means that the idea of Him seeing us is not just a fact—it is an aspect of His unchanging character itself.
If you ever wonder “Does God see me?”, the answer is near, as the Scriptures say, He sees us.
Where in the Bible does it say God sees me?
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The name El Roi is actually the first name assigned to God by a human. Not only that, but the first time a human gives God a name is when a female servant (Hagar) ascribed a name to Him. She does this not haphazardly or from a distance, but because of an experience she has had with Him personally.
Hagar dared to give God a name, not because she was a person of any authority or particular merit, she wasn’t a prophet or a priestess like Deborah. She was an Egyptian slave girl owned by Abram’s wife, Sarai. Hagar is one of the Bible’s unsung heroes.
Hagar’s mistress, Sarai, had gotten angry with her when she got pregnant with a son whom Sarai’s husband, Abram, had fathered. In Genesis 16:13 we read,
“So she named the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are El-Roi,’ for she said, ‘In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?’”
The God who sees me scripture in Genesis is the first that confirms that God sees you. No matter whether we see Him or not, He sees us. Isn’t that wonderful? The god who sees me, sees us!
Other Scriptures about the God who sees me
If you wonder God does God see me, a brief survey of Scripture reveals many more times where the truth of God’s seeing us shines forth.
Consider, for example, the following God sees me bible verses:
“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”
Proverbs 15:3 (ESV)
“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4:13 (ESV)
“For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.”
Job 28:24 (ESV)
“Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 23:24 (ESV)
“Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.”
Psalm 139:1-6 (ESV)
“For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me.”
Jeremiah 16:17a (ESV)
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”
2 Chronicles 16:9a (ESV)
“For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.”
Jon 34:21 (ESV)
“For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.”
Proverbs 5:21 (ESV)
“The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man.”
Psalm 33:13 (ESV)
As you can see, there are many God sees me scriptures, confirming how important it is to God that we know he sees us.
What does it mean that God sees me?
God sees you! In a hard season like the one in which Hagar found herself, it was a comfort and solace to her heart to know that God saw her. The same can be true for us.
When we walk through a trial, sometimes the most beneficial, the most helpful, the most comforting thing can be to just know that we are seen. To be seen in your struggle, loss, trial, or pain is to know that you are not forgotten, that Someone is well aware of your trouble, and that you are cared for in the midst of it. That is no small thing.
The fact that God sees you means that He is aware of everything that has or will happen to you, what you need, and what is coming next. And, in the hands of a loving and tenderly caring God, that is good news indeed!
When you feel as if God doesn’t see you, it helps to strengthen yourself in the Lord. The Bible is full of encourage yourself in the Lord quotes! Ready to cheer you up and remind you of God’s love, provision, and protection for you.
How does God see people?
God sees us differently than we see ourselves or how we are seen by others. He does not see us from a place of judgement or condemnation, but with compassion and grace. He knows all our failures, our shortcomings, our secrets, and our sins, but He sees us through the lens of His love and forgiveness.
No matter how much we may think we have messed up or failed Him, He still sees us through eyes of mercy and love. He sees us as His beloved children, and He is ever-mindful of our needs and our struggles.
God sees you as you are now, but He also sees you as you can be in the future. He sees not only your present reality but also the potential in you and the possibilities for you to become more. He sees your strengths, your abilities, and your potential to do great things in His name.
God is our ever-present help in time of need, and He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is the God who sees us. God is able to see each one of us 24/7 because of His omnipresence—the fact that He is everywhere all at once.
We read of this truth in Psalm 139:7-12:
“Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I fly on the wings of the dawn and settle down on the western horizon, even there your hand will lead me;
your right hand will hold on to me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night’—even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you.”
Have I seen the God who sees me?
As Hagar made clear when she first referred to God as being El Roi, not only did God see her, but she had seen Him as well. This can actually be something we experience, as well.
Not that we will see God in physical form standing right in front of us. But what it means is that we will see signs of His love, His care, His sovereignty, and His working in and through our lives.
Often, these signs come from instances when His hands and feet, the Church, reach out to us and minister to us. At other times, this looks like details of our lives falling into place in such a way that only God could have orchestrated it all just so.
If you aren’t sure if you have ever actually seen the God Who sees you, take a moment with a journal and prayerfully consider the events of your life over the past several years.
- What problem was suddenly remedied?
- Who helped you through a trial and encouraged your heart?
Chances are, whatever comes to mind is an instance of when you actually were seeing the hand of the God who saw you in your trouble or pain.
This was definitely true for me a couple of years back when my husband deployed. During the seven long months he was away, I saw God in big ways. I saw Him through His hands and feet bringing us meals, sending us care packages, texting us to let us know we were being prayed for, and helping us with yard work. I saw Him when He took care of a big problem my husband was facing while on his deployment.
Time and time again, I saw the God Who saw us. And the same can be true for you, as well.
Prayer to the God who sees me
Lord, thank You that You are the God who sees me and that You indeed see me.
Thank You that I am never out of Your thoughts or out of Your sight. Thank You that You care enough about me to always be watching over me, caring for me, and coming to my aid every step of the way.
Help me remember this beautiful truth the next time I am facing another mountain. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
GUEST AUTHOR: REBEKAH HARGRAVES
Rebekah Hargraves is a wife, homeschooling mama of two, blogger, podcaster, speaker, and author. Her passion is to edify, equip, and encourage women in their journey of Biblical womanhood, particularly with an emphasis on the gospel and its implications for everyday life.
Rebekah’s books: “Lies Moms Believe (And How the Gospel Refutes Them)” (2017), and the “Lies Moms Believe” Companion Bible Study” (2018).
You can connect with Rebekah via her website, Hargraves Home and Hearth, Instagram, or on iTunes via The Home and Hearth podcast.
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