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.”

 Genesis 16:13

Hagar was an Egyptian servant in Abram’s home and had been forced to become a surrogate to bear for him the son his wife had not yet given him. God had promised Abram (later Abraham) descendants as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5), but he and his wife became impatient in the waiting. He was already an old man and his wife, Sarai (later Sarah), was way beyond childbearing years. Culturally it was not uncommon for a servant to bear a child for their wealthy master if his wife was barren. It was considered the logical thing to do when one’s inheritance meant everything, and a son was essential to a woman’s future if her husband were to die. When Sarai told Abram her plan, she may have believed this solution was what God had in mind all along, but when Hagar became pregnant with Abram’s child, Sarai became bitter, jealous, and abusive—not grateful, joyful, and kind. 

Hagar ran away with nowhere to go. She wandered through the desert feeling alone and desperate, but when she found a spring of fresh water, she found so much more than something to quench her thirst. She found spiritual refreshment! She saw and spoke with the Lord! This is the first time the phrase “the angel of the Lord” (the pre-incarnate Jesus) appears in the Bible, and it is such a beautiful reminder that we are all seen, we are known, and we are never alone. El Roi, the God who Sees, is with us. We just need to get away from the busyness and the noise and get quiet enough to hear Him. We have all found ourselves in a few “deserts”, difficult seasons in our lives, but if we run away from every unpleasant situation rather than depending on God, our faith cannot grow. We certainly don’t like Hagar’s circumstances, or plenty of our own, but perhaps desperation for God is exactly where He wants us every single day.

Have you experienced times in your life when you felt unappreciated, alone, or invisible? In those moments, you may have had a tendency to run away emotionally, to try to hide in the “wilderness”, but that just left you feeling even more alone. Rather than letting her run from the situation, the Lord sent Hagar back to her mistress, but He sent her with a promise similar to the one He gave to Abram. Jesus will meet you wherever you are. He will remind you that you are loved and known and never alone. He will give you all the wisdom and spiritual refreshment you need to push through your circumstances and remind you that your purpose and your place in history matter. God lets you go through struggles because they grow your faith, shape your heart, and prepare you to serve Him and those around you. El Roi will meet you in those deserts and refresh your soul, because He always keeps His promises. He has His eyes on you, so you have every reason to be grateful, joyful, and kind. You are loved!