Most of us are familiar with the story of Abraham and Sarah, but we probably aren't as familiar with the story of Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian maidservant. Hagar gave birth to Abraham's first child, Ishmael, because Sarah became impatient waiting for God to fulfill His promise to give her a child. Once Hagar became pregnant, Genesis 16 says that Sarah began to despise and mistreat her, so Hagar fled from Sarah to the desert.
And God met Hagar there. Verse 7 says, "The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert...". There, He gave her comfort, direction, and a promise. And my favorite part of Hagar's story is in verse 13, where it says, "She 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.'" (Hagar is the only person in the whole Bible to give God a name!)
Just like God saw Hagar in her pain and wandering, He sees you wherever you are in your story. And He not only sees you, but He is with you, comforting you, giving you direction, and speaking His good promises to you, just like He did for her. Whether you're a parent burdened by circumstances at home, a student facing constant stressors in school and life, an employee trying to do the best you can at work and trying to make ends meet, or whatever you may be facing, God meets you and speaks to you there.
He knows the challenges you have overcome to get to where you are now because He has carried you through them. God sees you, and my prayer for you is that, like Hagar, you would be encouraged as God draws near to you in the midst of your circumstances and struggles and that you would be able to say, "I have now seen the One who sees me." And not only does He see you, but He is well-pleased with you. He looks at you, His child, and smiles. He knows how hard it has been, He sees the progress you have made, and He is so proud of you. ♥
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