“She [Hagar] gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’” Genesis 16:13 (NIV)

One day I was sitting on the patio with my new stepfather, Pete, waiting for the grill to heat up before placing steaks on to cook. My mom opened the door and gave Pete his orders — telling him what to do and how to do it. When she went back inside, Pete made a hand signal, pointing in one ear and out the other. We both laughed. Then he placed his ruddy hand on my arm, a hand worn by years of working under the hood of cars of every make and model.

“She was pretty hard on you growing up, wasn’t she?” he asked.

“You have no idea,” I answered with a sigh.

But Pete did have an idea. He understood. And that one simple gesture let me know he had peered into my heart and seen the truth. The weathered, country mechanic had looked under the hood of my heart with wisdom and seen the damaged engine within. A heart that, though healed by Christ, still felt the phantom pains of a little girl who felt she was never good enough, who was constantly told what to do and how to do it — and who never did it quite right. Pete saw my heart, and for that, I loved him.

How like God. He places His hand on our shoulders, looks into our eyes, and lets us know He understands. “I see you,” He says. “I see what you are going through.”

That’s exactly what happened to a woman named Hagar. In Genesis, God had promised Abram he would be the father of many nations. But then his wife, Sarai, grew tired of waiting on God to fulfill His promise. So she told Abram to sleep with her slave, Hagar, and build a family through her. (Genesis 16:1-3). Once Hagar conceived, Sarai grew jealous and mistreated Hagar. Hagar couldn’t take the abuse any longer, so she ran away to the desert.

“The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, ‘Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?’

‘I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,’ she answered.
Then the angel of the LORD told her, ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’ The angel added, ‘I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count’” (Genesis 16:7-10, NIV).

Hagar’s heart was humbly moved because God had seen her, taken notice of her, understood her. “‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me’” (Genesis 16:13b). Hagar called God by His name, El Roi, The God who sees me … and you.

The book of Hebrews tells us we have a High Priest, Jesus, who understands what we’re going through. He “sympathizes” with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). The word “sympathizes” comes from two Greek words, syn and pathos, meaning, “suffer with.” We are not alone in our suffering, and there are glory moments, moments when God makes His presence known, if we keep our eyes open to see.

I don’t know what you’re going through today, but I do know this: God sees you. He knows what you’re going through, and you are not alone.

Dear Lord, thank You for seeing what I’m going through, every single day. Remind me of this truth in good times and bad. Help me experience Your goodness and Your glory in my life today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY

Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (ESV)

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Today’s devotion was adapted from Sharon Jaynes’ book, A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More. Do you long for something more in your relationship with God? The good news is that “something more” does not mean “doing more.” It’s not about what God wants from you, but what God wants for you — to experience Him in the middle of your busy, messy day. If you have a “glory ache” — a longing to experience God on a daily basis, then this book is for you.

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If you’re going through a struggle right now, click here for a free printable of 10 Bible Verses to Help You Trust God in Difficult Times. And connect with Sharon by signing up for her weekly blog!

REFLECT AND RESPOND

Glory moments abound when we tune into God’s frequency and listen. How have you experienced God’s presence lately? Share your thoughts in our comments section!

© 2018 by Sharon Jaynes. All rights reserved.