LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Friday 26th November 2021
EL-ROI
Scripture Reading: Genesis 16
Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” Genesis 16:13
El Roi is used to describe God as the seeing One. Hagar, Abraham’s maid, described the Lord this way when she was in the wilderness. Hagar felt used and abused by her mistress, Sarah. She had been led into a relationship with Abraham that she didn’t ask for and now, she was suffering for obeying the command of her mistress.
Pregnant and alone in the desert, the angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar as she lay by a spring of water and encouraged her. The angel told Hagar to return home to the house of Abraham. In addition, the angel of the Lord assured her about the future of the child she was carrying. Hagar was so grateful that the Lord had seen all that she had gone through and had not abandoned her.
There in the desert, Hagar recognized the Lord as the One who sees – El-Roi.
1. The Lord sees what happens to us. Many times when we are mistreated, we wonder if the Lord sees what we are going through. Yes, He does! The Lord sees our pain and struggles. He does not turn a blind eye to the injustices around us.
2. The Lord sees us wherever we are. The Lord saw where Hagar was, alone and abandoned. He knows where we are. He can find us when no one knows where we are.
3. The Lord sees the future we do not see. The Lord saw the future of the child that Hagar was carrying. Though the child had not been born, the Lord saw how his life would turn out. The Lord sees the promise of our future when all we see is doom and gloom. He sees His plans coming to pass in our lives.
What Hagar discovered about God is part of His eternal nature. The Lord did not start seeing only in Hagar’s situation. He had been seeing before Hagar and would continue to see after that. Today, you can be sure that the Lord who saw Hagar, also sees you.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are the One who sees. You see where I am and where you are taking me. I trust you with my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.