El Roi

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The God who sees us and loves us all the same.

el roi

It can be quite easy to attach our value and worth to what we bring and give to people. But the story of Hagar in Genesis 16 shows clearly that even though she might have been deemed damaged goods and forgotten by society because her son would no longer be the rightful heir in Abraham’s lineage, yet she wasn’t left alone to bear the grunt and shame society placed on her.

Genesis 16:13

Hagar calls God El Roi after being chased out by Sarai and Abraham with her son Ishmael. El Roi shows up again in Genesis 21:14 -21 for Hagar the Egyptian. We see the goodness and kindness of God at work here because even though Hagar didn’t birth the promised child yet she wasn’t abandoned by God. She received the back end of the bargain and was subjected to hostility from Sarai even though it was Sarai’s impatience that led to her situation. Yet we see the goodness of God at work. He reclaims what man taints and beautifies it and removes reproach.

No matter what we may encounter or experience we have a God that truly sees us. Not the way other people see us rather God sees into our very being and into our hearts.

Matthew 10: 29-31

29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin[k]? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows

Anytime we worry about our impact or significance or we question our worth, we are reminded that God loves us inherently because he created us and made us. The same God that provides for the animals we see in the wild and even the rodents that we wonder where they come from, still they are preserved one way or another. We are more valuable to God because we are made in His image therefore won’t He want to supply our needs much more?

One question that comes to my mind is ‘Why does God love us?’ It can be difficult to understand that God loves us but after reminding ourselves enough times and keep playing over His words in our mind that indeed God loves us, the next question could be ‘Why?’

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Imagine you pour your heart and soul into something. A hobby, an event, or a project, that thing carries a piece of you and to some extent is a representation of you, therefore will you not love that thing? Even if you have perfectionist tendencies and the outcome isn’t necessarily what you envisioned but because you have put some portion of yourself, your heart and soul into this thing, there is no way that thing does not hold a special place in your heart. That is how I think of how God loves us. Apart from the fact that God is Love and it is a part of His nature, we are also made in His image. Meaning regardless of our imperfections and flaws, inherently we mirror our heavenly Father.

Made in His image

Therefore He sees us and knows us. Before we were formed in our mothers womb He knew us. Not made but formed. Making something requires action, formation can occur in the mind and can be theoretical. So before we were even a thought or an idea God already knew us because we are a part of Him. We are made in His image. That knowledge is too lofty! So grand and so spectacular! Before we were even a thought, God had us on His mind. How will He not watch over us jealously then? How will He not be invested in our future and our lives. But that is the type of God we serve.

The God that sees us and knows us.

Ephesians 1:4-6

God sees and has chosen us even before the creation of the world.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

This means God already loved us before we even did anything or could provide anything. He had already set the plan in place that we would be justified and made righteous in Christ Jesus. That means our good deeds behaviors, bad deeds and behaviors does not affect how God sees us and loves us. His thought towards us are ALWAYS good and can never be tainted by anything. God does not reason like human beings and not swayed by emotions, feelings or seasons. He remains the same, ever faithful, ever sure

El Roi – This identity of God can be closely linked to his sovereignty as Omnipresent and Omniscient. Meaning God is present at all times and he knows all things. There is nothing and nowhere we can go to hide from Him.

He sees us and more than that He knows us.

Hebrews 12:13 (AMP):

And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account.”

Jeremiah 12: 3a

“Yet you know me, Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you.”

2 Chronicles 16: 9a

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

All of this ties into the fact that God is sovereign. Our God reigns in the heavens and we worship Him from earth (Psalms 115:3).  In fact the whole of Psalm 115 commands us to remember and revere this God because He sees us and cares for us, in comparison to the  gods and idols of earth who cannot see or care for their worshippers.

His names are to offer us reverence and a call to remind ourselves of the vast magnitude of the God we serve. We can never completely and totally quantify Him. He reveals different portions of himself to us in different situations.

We have an everlasting promise that God will continue to keep His eye upon us – 

Psalm 121:8 NIV

“The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Amen)

To be known and loved is the greatest desire of the human heart. We have a God that loves us but more than that He knows us because He sees us. He sees deep into our very hearts and desires. He knows how we think and how we operate, even better than we know ourselves. He is our ever present help in times of trouble. How does he know we are in trouble you ask? Because His eyes are always on us! Watching us! He jealously guards over us. He is too committed and invested in bringing His purposes to pass through and in us (Ezekiel 39:25). He will not absolve us of our responsibility to righteousness but at the same time for His name’s sake He will always redeem us. 

Hagai and her son were still able to share in some portion of the inheritance even though it wasn’t promised to them at first but because God is merciful and just, He provides a way.

God sees our afflictions and sufferings and He shows up for us in the most unexpected way. By sending His son, Jesus Christ to perform the ultimate sacrifice that covers a multitude of afflictions that we may ever experience on this side of eternity and beyond.

Find Rest My Soul and Trust in the Lord our Salvation. He sees us, He loves us and He wants the very best for us.

#SeekGodMore

Mo 🙂


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    El Roi

    The God who sees us and loves us all the same.el roi It can be quite easy to attach our value and worth to what we bring and give to people. But the story of Hagar in Genesis 16 shows clearly that …

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