The God Who Sees Me: Understanding El Roi

When we truly see God and understand that He sees us, it changes everything about how we worship and live. One of the most personal and intimate names of God found in Scripture is El Roi - "The God Who Sees Me." This name reveals a profound truth about God's character: He doesn't just see us from a distance; He sees us personally, intimately, and with deep value.

Who is El Roi and where does this name come from?

Unlike many other names of God that begin with "Jehovah" (God's personal name), El Roi begins with "El" - a generic term for deity. What makes this name special is that it came from someone who didn't even know God personally - an Egyptian servant named Hagar.

Hagar was an outsider, someone who had no relationship with God except what she might have heard from others. Yet in a moment of desperation, she encountered God in such a personal way that she gave Him this name: "The God who sees me."

The story behind El Roi

The story begins in Genesis 16. Abram (later called Abraham) and Sarai (later called Sarah) had been promised by God that they would become a great nation. The problem? They were barren and couldn't have children.

After waiting ten years for God's promise to be fulfilled, Sarai became impatient. She had acquired an Egyptian servant named Hagar during a previous trip to Egypt, and she came up with a plan:

"The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have a child through her."

Abram agreed without seeking God's guidance. Hagar conceived, and that's when everything fell apart. Sarai became jealous and began to mistreat Hagar. What started as manipulation turned into a "hate triangle" where everyone felt undervalued.

When do we feel undervalued?

When we feel replaced

Sarai felt replaced when Hagar conceived. She had orchestrated the whole situation, but when she saw the results, she felt threatened and undervalued.

When we feel ruined or damaged

Hagar likely felt used - simply a means to an end. She did what she was told, and now she was being punished for it.

When we feel rejected

Eventually, Hagar couldn't take the mistreatment anymore and ran away into the desert. She felt rejected by the very people who had brought her into this situation.

Our vision problem

Why don't we see ourselves the way God sees us? We have vision problems:

Blind spots - There are things about ourselves we simply cannot see without others pointing them out
Nearsightedness - We focus on small details but miss the bigger picture of what God is doing
Farsightedness - We see the distant vision but neglect the daily disciplines needed to get there

God finds Hagar in the desert

Genesis 16:7-13 tells us that "the angel of the Lord found her" - not just any angel, but what theologians call a "christophany," an appearance of God the Son in the Old Testament.

What's remarkable is that God:

Called her by name
Asked her where she had come from and where she was going
Promised to multiply her offspring
Gave her direction (even though it was difficult)

Hagar's response? "You are the God who sees me... I have seen the one who sees me."

This encounter transformed her. She went from feeling worthless to understanding that the Creator of the universe saw her, knew her, and valued her - not for what she could provide, but simply because she was His creation.

What are you seeking?

In Matthew 6, Jesus addresses this issue of seeking validation from the wrong sources:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?"

Jesus asks us to consider what we're seeking. Whatever we see as valuable is what we will seek. Are we seeking:

Relationships to validate us?
Status or career to give us worth?
Possessions to define us?

Jesus reminds us: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Seek in secret to be seen by the Savior

Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:6: "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

There's something powerful about seeking God in private, developing that intimate relationship where you can be completely vulnerable. As Psalm 91:1 says, "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

Life Application

God sees you as valuable not because of what you can provide, but because you bear His image. Just as a coin bears the image of the one who minted it, you bear God's image. When God looks at believers, He sees Jesus.

This week, commit to seeking God in secret. No rules, no agenda - just be with Him alone. It might feel like nothing is happening at first, but stay with Him. God will show up.

Ask yourself:

What am I currently seeking to give me value or validation?
Do I have a "secret place" where I meet with God regularly?
How would my life change if I truly believed that God sees me and values me completely?
What one step can I take this week to seek God more intimately?

Remember: You may feel replaced, rejected, or ruined, but God sees you as redeemed. When you truly see that God sees you, everything changes.