THE GOD WHO SEES ME
According to Guinness World Records, Veronica Seider from Germany had the greatest eyesight in history—twenty times better than an average human. Normal visual acuity is limited to 20/20, while Veronica's was around 20/2. Prior to passing away in 2023, she could distinguish people and details about them, from over a mile away. She could even read the equivalent of a ten-page letter on the back of a postage stamp, without a magnifying glass! Scientists are baffled to explain her incredible genetic abnormality. (https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/cgh9pg/til_about_veronica_seider_a_german_woman_born/)
Yet here’s something more amazing: God’s “eyesight.” He sees every detail, of every person’s life, everywhere at once—past, present, and future. In Matthew 10:29-31, Jesus stated, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Jesus said, “don’t be afraid,” because there’s great comfort in knowing God sees, not only each sparrow, but every detail about us, right down the number of our hairs. No one goes unnoticed.
God even “sees” what we’re feeling—those invisible matters undetected by others. He sees every tear, every heartbreak, every sorrow, deep within our heart. An unwanted pregnancy, a failed marriage, the loss of a loved one. He sees it all. And he cares for us, in the midst of our most profound pain.
Consider Hagar in Genesis 16. She was a nobody, a non-person, a foreigner—a slave carrying her master’s child. Mistreated by her mistress, she ran away. Then God met her near a spring in the desert (verse 7). He spoke words of comfort to this rejected and unloved woman, assuring Hagar he had a future for her and her unborn son. She discovered a new facet to God’s nature, and named him El Roi, “The God Who Sees Me.” Our hearts break for the Hagars of our world, but God’s heart breaks even more.
Perhaps you view yourself as Hagar, wondering where God is. Does he see me? Does he know what I’m going through? Does he even care? God doesn’t tell us why he allows us to experience so much pain, but rest assured he sees you, knows you, and cares—deeply—as Hagar discovered. He is the God Who Sees.
Principle: God sees us in our suffering.
Ponder:
When have you experienced God as “El Roi?”
On a scale of one to ten, how much can you relate to Hagar and her suffering?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Genesis 16.
Prayer: El Roi, you are truly the God Who Sees Me. Like Hagar, meet me in those times of life when I suffer, and assure me that you see me and care for me.