Waiting is hard. Most of us don’t like waiting in line, waiting for a text back, or waiting for God to answer a prayer. But imagine waiting years—even decades—for something God Himself promised you.
That’s exactly where Abraham and Sarah found themselves. God promised Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5), yet years passed, and they still had no child. Instead of trusting God’s timing, Sarah took matters into her own hands. She told Abraham to sleep with her servant, Hagar, so they could have a child through her.
How often do we do the same? We believe God has a plan, but when things don’t happen fast enough, we try to force it ourselves. We rush into relationships, make decisions out of fear, or try to control things that were never ours to control.
The God Who Sees
Sarah’s plan worked—Hagar got pregnant—(remember Hagar is just their servant) but instead of solving their problem, it created chaos. Sarah became jealous and mistreated Hagar, so much so that Hagar ran away into the wilderness.
That’s when something incredible happened. For the first time in this whole story, someone speaks directly to Hagar. And it’s God. He chooses the servant to speak to. He brings someone who has no “worldly value” in society, and gives them significant value because their WORTH himself.
He calls her by name. He acknowledges her pain. He shows her he’s with her through it all. He asks her, “Where are you going?”—not because He doesn’t know, (He’s an all knowing God) but because He wants HER to know He sees her.
Hagar responds by giving God a name: El Roi, “the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13).
God Sees You, Too
God doesn’t just see you in a general sense—like how we see a stranger on the street. He knows you intimately. Luke 12:7 says that God even knows the number of hairs on your head. He also is what gives us worth. Do you know how to determine what something is worth? You look at what someone is willing to pay for it. And you know what God bought you for? His Son. That’s the highest price. You are worth his one and only son.
Because He doesn’t just see you—He knows you. He knows your fears, your struggles, your waiting, your doubts. And not only does He know, but He cares.
Hagar’s story reminds us that God sees us, even when we feel unseen. He is with us in our waiting, in our pain, and even in our mistakes.
Instead of forcing our own plans like Sarah, or running away in fear like Hagar, we can trust El Roi—the God who sees. His timing is perfect. His love is personal. And His promises will never fail. Trust him today.
15 Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”