Day 11 — The God Who Sees Me

“So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘Here I have seen the One who sees me!’”

— Genesis 16:13 (BSB)

Have you ever felt invisible? Maybe you walked into the lunchroom and there was no place to sit. Maybe your friends made plans without you. Maybe you weren’t invited to a party that everyone else was talking about. Maybe you were picked last, again.

Feeling left out is one of the loneliest feelings in the world.

Hagar knew that feeling. She was a servant in Abraham and Sarah’s household. She was far from her home country, and she had no power and no rights. When things went badly between her and Sarah, Hagar was treated harshly. So she ran away into the desert, alone, with nowhere to go.

Hagar probably thought nobody cared about her. Nobody would even notice she was gone.

But by a spring of water in the middle of the wilderness, the angel of the LORD found her. He called her by name. He knew where she had come from and what she was going through. And He gave her a promise for the future.

Hagar was amazed. She gave God a new name: “You are the God who sees me.”

Out of everyone in the Bible, Hagar is the one who gave God that name. A servant girl, alone in the desert, who felt invisible. God saw her.

If you feel left out or invisible, remember Hagar. God sees you. He knows your name. He knows exactly where you are and what you’re feeling. You’re never invisible to Him.

And here’s something else. Once you know what it’s like to feel left out, you can become someone who notices others. Look around the lunchroom, the playground or your classroom. Is there someone sitting alone? Someone who looks like they don’t fit in? You can be the one who sees them, the way God saw Hagar.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is simply say, “Want to sit with me?”

Think about it: Have you ever felt invisible or left out? How does it help to know God is “the God who sees me”?

Try this: Look for someone today who seems left out. Sit with them, talk to them or invite them to join in.

Dear God, You are the God who sees me. Thank You that I am never invisible to You, even when I feel left out. Help me notice people who feel alone, and help me be kind to them the way You’ve been kind to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.