El Roi ~ The God Who Sees

"And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered." ~Genesis 16:11-14

This is a familiar portion of Scripture. In chapter 16 of Genesis, Hagar became Abraham's wife. When Sarah cast Hagar out of the house, Hagar fled to the wilderness where she was met by God. He tells her that he will multiply her seed and that she would name her son Ishmael. She named the place El-Roi, which interpreted is "the God who sees." Beer-lahai-roi, then, would mean "the well of him that liveth and seeth me." 

I'm sure Hagar felt very much alone when she was in the wilderness. God met her where she was though, and she obviously noticed his presence because she called him El-Roi. Today, in January 2021, God is still El-Roi. Psalm chapter 139 is full of comforting verses that God sees and knows you. Maybe you are discouraged about the events of the past few months and feel alone, or maybe you are going through a trial and are lonely. Or maybe everything is going alright for you. No matter what season of life you are in, remember that God sees everything. He sees your loneliness.  He sees your trials. He sees the devices of the wicked. He sees the hearts of his people, and he hears their prayers.  Job 34:21 says "For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings."

Whatever happens in our country and in our world this year, be encouraged that our God, who never changes, always sees. He is El-Roi. 

"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." ~Proverbs 15:3

Please keep praying, dear friend, and may God bless you. 

with love, 

Ashley

1 Peter 3:12 ~ "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."