The One Who Sees You

Genesis 16:8, 13-14 (NIVUK)

And (God) said, ‘Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?’ ‘I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,’ she answered.....

 .....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.’ That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

What is behind the giving of a name? We can be given a name because it sounds nice or because it holds deep significance. The name on my birth certificate is Nicola, which means ‘victory’. My family have always called me ‘Nikki’ and eventually I wanted to be called ‘Nikki’ all the time. These days, being called ‘Nicola’ is reserved, for example, for the serious business of renegotiating our broadband tariff!

Throughout the Bible there are myriad names for God. There are not enough words in existence that can entirely sum up who God is. However, the names attributed to him throughout Scripture convey aspects of his nature and character. This week, we will look at a few of these names for God that ultimately shed more light on who he is and how he relates to us. 

In the book of Genesis, we see Hagar in a state of desperation, alone and afraid, as she runs away to escape further mistreatment from her mistress, Sarai. God knew her name and despite asking her where she was from and where she was going, he already knew the answer. As God reveals to Hagar the plans he has for her and the child that she is carrying, her eyes are opened and her perspective is changed. In that moment, Hagar realises that God not only knows her name, he knew where she was from and where she was going: her destiny. He saw her for who he made her to be. She called God, ‘El Roi: the One who sees me.'

God, El Roi, sees you. He knows where you have come from, what you have experienced in the past, and what is to come. We can trust that he cares about every detail of our lives and that he wants us to remain close to him on the journey ahead. 

Prayer — Lord, thank you that you are the God who knows my name, the God who sees me. Help me to be confident that you are always near and that I can trust you always.