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The God Who Sees Me

“Mommy! Look at me.” You will hear this phrase shouted across just about any playground or park. Between the giggles and the shouts, children are driven by the approval and attention of their parents.

A young couple after a few years of marriage slam doors after angry accusations. In separate spaces and places, they wonder, “Does he … Does she … see me?”

The heartbreak of disappointment leaves us begging God for help. In a moment of desperation, we cry out to God, “Don’t you care? Can you even see me?”

God’s Promise to Abram

Life can be complicated especially when we jump the gun with God.

The infamous story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar unfolds like a script from a day-time soap opera. It all started when God promised Abram (before God changed his name to Abraham) that he would be the “father of a great nation.” Even Abram’s name meant “exalted father.” That’s a tough name to have when you don’t have any kids. Imagine the snickers and taunts Abram got. God promised. Abram and Sarai (before God called her Sarah) pined. Birthdays come quick when you enter your sixth and seventh decade of life. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Sara’s Servant Hagar

Enter stage left: Hagar. Undoubtedly younger than her 75-year-old counterpart, Hagar was Sarah’s personal assistant. Sarah gave up on the hope that she could have kids and schemed up a whopper of an idea. “I’ll just have Hagar sleep with my husband to give us a baby.” It takes surrogacy and in-Vetro to a whole new level. In our culture, we can’t wrap our minds around this desperation of irrationality. For Abraham and Sarah, it was a cultural and financial decision.

Without an heir, Abraham, the wealthy businessman that he was, would pass on his business and all his assets to his right-hand man Eliezar, as was custom. Another option, however, was for Abraham to father a child by the “handmaid” of his wife.

Hagar’s Pregnancy

Hagar got pregnant. As you can imagine, things didn’t go well between Sarah and Hagar. Two women who were presumably friends at one time, now had a falling out. Hagar treated Sarah with contempt and looked down on her. Sarah was scorned and you know what they say, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

Abraham, like any good husband, simply said, “You’re her boss. You handle the situation however you see fit.” (Genesis 16:6) Sarah made Hagar’s life difficult. It was tough enough that Hagar abandoned her job and went on the run as a single expectant mom. Abandoned by everything she came to know and love, Hagar found herself alone by a well in the wilderness.

God Sees Hagar

In this moment, God sees her in need and sends help. An angel appears and gives direction to Hagar to return back to Abraham and Sarah and to trust God to bless her. Hagar’s response, “Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” (Genesis 16:13)

God Sees You

Crazy story, right? Hagar did what was acceptable in the culture, but not the wisest decision. Yet God still honors her, blesses her, and sees her. Life isn’t always cut and dry, black and white. It is complex and messy. At the end of the day, life can leave us confused, unloved, and unnoticed. In spite of the situation, God saw her. God sees you. No matter how far you go from God, he still sees you. No matter what you’ve done, El Roi sees you. David knew this when he wrote, “Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7)

Don’t lose sight of your call and purpose because you are in obscurity. Refuse to believe what people say about you. Remember the one who sees you.

God’s Name for Today

El Roi- “The God who sees”

אל ראי

“You are the God who sees me.” -Genesis 16:13

An Excerpt from Our Newest Devotional

This is an excerpt from our newest devotional, God is for You. It’s a thirty-day devotional of the names of God. if you are looking for some encouragement right now, some hope…check out this devotional. I think it will really encourage your heart.

For more like this, check out my post, God is Working on Your Behalf Today.

Just Ask

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*excerpt from Praying for a Change Devotional

My kids have this thing they do. I call it “hovering.” They call it “Dad, I need you attention right now, even though it’s not life or death and no one’s bleeding, I need to see your eyeballs RIGHT NOW!” Or something like that.

They will stand next to me, put their head on my shoulder, and sigh in my ear. Some days I tell them, “This is my ‘No-No’ square. Don’t touch me anywhere.” On my better days, I ask them what they need.

Most times they want something to eat, drink, or a new app downloaded on a device. My oldest usually has a high-priced pair of sneakers he wants. You know what my response will be? “Christmas is coming.”

What Do You Want?

The other day, my youngest pulled the old “hover-head-shoulder-sigh” approach. “Yes, can I help you,” I said like a British butler.

“Dad, when a movie maker person wants to use an actor in a movie and another movie person wants to use the same actor in a movie…do you know what I mean?”

“Yes, my love. I understand what you mean.”

“Well, I’m wondering how does that work?” she asked.

She didn’t need a toy or a treat. She just wanted some time. So, we had a nice little chat about movies, actors, production schedules, and theater release dates. You know, the usual stuff dads and daughters chat about.

Taking the Next Step

I loved that conversation. We connected over something she’d been thinking about. I don’t know that I had the right answers, but it sure was fun watching the wheels turn in her head. I love watching things grow. My grass…not so much. But my kids, you betcha.

I love watching people take their next step in their walk with God. I love it when someone pursues a dream they’re passionate about. Watching people take steps of faith and risk certainty for the clarity that God is calling them to launch out into a new adventure is something that lights me up. All they have is the wind at their back and their eyes of faith fixed on God.

God Loves To Hear Your Voice

Sometimes my kids need things. Who am I kidding? My kids need things all the time. But there are times when they just want to talk. They want to get something off their chest. They want to understand why something is the way it is. Why do some kids say unkind things? Will people ever stop hurting each other? Why does a trip to Papa and Grandmas take so long? Why does Christmas feel like it will never get here? What is heaven going to be like? Will you and mom ever stop kissing? Just the everyday run of the mill kind of questions.

Sometimes my kids will hesitate to ask a question. They might be afraid I’ll say no. They might not be able to verbalize what they’re trying to say. Or they think I’m too busy to take the time to listen.

Jesus Teaches Us How to Ask

In Matthew 7, Jesus tells us about prayer. But more so, he tells us about how our Heavenly Father handles our prayers.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
Matthew 7:7-12 NLT

Jesus tells us to ask, seek, and knock. What’s the difference?

Asking means that we need to know an answer to a question. Asking means that we need God to provide for a need.

Seeking means that we are trying to find something we’ve lost; we’re looking for something we value. Seeking means we are trying to uncover something that’s hidden.

Knocking means that we want to be on the other side of the door. We want access to what is beyond the door. We want to get into the room, and we want to leave the cold, the emptiness, and the uncertainty.

Keep Asking

Jesus uses the word “keep” in relation to each of those actions. Why? Jesus wants us to keep asking even after we’ve received. He wants us to keep seeking even after we’ve found. He wants us to keep knocking even after the doors been answered. Why? God wants us to realize it’s not about receiving, finding, or being answered. He wants us to engage him, pursue him, and connect with him continually.

God wants you to ask him the stupid, silly, and foolish questions. He wants you to ask the hard, heart-breaking, and doubt-filled questions. He’s okay with that. He can handle that. He’s God after all; He can handle a lot of things.

“Think of what He can do, and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things!”
Andrew Murray

He’s Waiting for You to Ask

Jesus wraps it up with an illustration. If a child asks for bread or a fish, will a parent give them a stone or a snake? Of course not. He then uses our humanity to reveal God’s divinity. Jesus says, “If you’re an imperfect, sinful parent, and you know how to love on your kids, how much more will a perfect and holy God know how to give his kids good gifts when they ask?”

God is just waiting for you to ask. Will he always drop a thousand dollars into your bank account? Nope. But he wants you to ask the question. He wants you to talk to him. He’s waiting. He’s willing, and he’s listening.

I’m praying that you’ll take the time, even risk it to ask God, to engage God.

***This excerpt was taken from Praying for a Change, a 30-Day Devotional.

More Encouragement

If you enjoyed today’s devotional, check out Matt’s devotional, Praying for a Change. Be sure to check out the accompanying study guide to work through with a small group as well. You can also read my post, How to Know if God is Answering my Prayer.

When You’re Exhausted

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Exhausted. It’s a mom during a 2 AM feeding for her crying newborn. Weary. The guy working third shift to make ends meet. Tired. The college student pulling an “all-nighter” to complete a paper for a class at 7 AM. Worn out. The family that’s trying to help their loved one overcome addiction. Burned-out. The boss who can’t meet payroll. Drained. The couple who wonders if they should end their marriage.

**Today’s blog post is an excerpt from our 30-day Devotional You Are Not Alone.

Fatigue

Fatigue can make us fearful, doubtful, and depressed. It’s one thing to be physically tired. It’s another thing to be so weary at the soul level that you lie awake at night staring at the ceiling. You’re so exhausted you can’t sleep. That’s tiring.

What can you do when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel? Take a glimpse into David’s life.

David was exhausted from being in conflict with people.
Psalm 57:6

David was weary from an all-night sob fest.
Psalm 6:6

David was worn out from waiting.
Psalm 119:81

David was tired of the toxic people around him.
Psalm 120:6

David was broken from a weary soul.
Psalm 63:1

David was tired of God’s heavy hand on him.
Psalm 39:10

Sometimes it feels like God is actively working against us. It’s in these times, we seek God’s rest.

What’s God’s answer for you when you’re exhausted? More work? Trying harder to do better?

Rest for the Weary

God’s answer is rest. He gives rest for your mind, your body, and your soul. How can we practically activate this rest?

1. Set a stopping time for your work. Your body will give you the stopping point and give out on you otherwise. God gives rest for your body. “My body rests in safety.” (Psalm 16:9)

2. Look for the natural rhythms God gives you. Don’t be a martyr. No one wins awards for making things harder on themselves. Instead, work toward peaceful healthy places and spaces in life. Who are healthy encouraging people you can be around? Where are safe places? What drains you? What fills you up? God leads you to peaceful and healthy places naturally. Look for them in your life. Don’t fight against them. “He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.” (Psalm 23:2)

Flip the Script

If you can worry, you can worship. Whatever narrative you’re telling yourself must change if you want rest.

Replace: “I’ve got to try harder” with “God is working for my best when I’m at rest.”

“God gives rest to his loved ones.”
Psalm 127:2

Replace: “People in my life are dangerous and can’t be trusted” with “God is my safe space and place.

”I“… live in the shelter of the Most High … find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Psalm 91:1

Replace: “Nothing ever works out for me” with “God is ever and always good to me.”

“…the Lord has been good to me.” (Psalm 116:7)

What kind of rest do you need from God today?

Taking It Further

Today’s Bible Reading: Psalm 127

What does God say about rest? (verse 2)

One of the reasons you may find yourself so exhausted is that you may be doing more of drains you than what fills you up. Take a few minutes to answer the following questions.

What drains you?

What fills you up?

Which are you doing more of—what drains you or what fills you up?

If you picked what drains you, then there needs to be a change. Write down some ways you can get more of what fills you up into your weekly schedule.

For More Encouragement

If you enjoyed this devotional, be sure to check out You Are Not Alone as well as our other devotionals.

You can also check out my post, Have You Ever Tried a Sabbath Day?

You Are Not Alone, New Devotional

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You Are Not Alone Devotional

Today is the release day for You Are Not Alone: Promises from Psalms, our newest 30-Day Devotional. As we started the new year, Matt and I made a plan for the projects we wanted to roll out this year. On our list were several devotionals, so we got to work on those. We actually didn’t have this one on the schedule for the year. We had a few others planned instead.

As we sat together on our date day one morning and talked about everything going on around us, we decided we needed a devotional that would comfort people’s hearts. So many people are hurting; our world is so charged right now. We wanted something that could minister to people who needed to be reminded that God was for them and they weren’t alone in their struggle.

Enter the You Are Not Alone Devotional. We really enjoyed creating this devotional. It’s our most favorite yet! We love it in that it can encourage anybody! It also makes a great gift to give to people when you don’t know what to say to help them. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say to someone when they’re in the hospital, or when they’ve lost a loved one or heard bad news from the doctor. This devotional is the perfect thing to fill in the gaps when you don’t know what to say.

About This Devotional

Matt wrote this for the back of the book:

For the one who feels so lonely, abandoned even, God is ever and always near. For the one whose heart breaks and feels hopeless, find hope in God’s presence and promises. God is ever and always by your side. You are not alone.

In this 30-day devotional, you will discover some of the greatest promises in all of the Bible in the collection of songs called Psalms. Learn about the six times in life we can know we are not alone. From the seasons of stess to family struggles, you will learn the promises for times of uncertainty even the promises for facing your final days on this earth.

Live Training

We did a live training recently where we discussed how to use this new devotional. You can watch that training on our YouTube page for Manney Resources here. As a part of that training, Matt created a free guide. You can download that guide here if you are interested. One of the pages Matt created was this page of where to find hope in the book of Psalms. I think it’s a great resource and wanted to share it with you.

Sometimes we want to encourage ourselves or encourage a friend, but we’re not sure which Psalm would be best to do that. This little cheat sheet helps with that.

Understanding the Psalms

The Psalms are such a rich book because they were written as songs. There are many times that just speaking doesn’t articulate what we’re trying to say or think. Yet, a song can do just that. How many times has a song caught your attention and hit home for you? Maybe it made you cry, or maybe it made you smile and remember something special. That’s the power of a song. That’s why when you read the Psalms, they just bring so much comfort and peace to our hearts.

My life verse comes from Psalms.

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
Psalm 18:30 KJV

Something to Look Forward To

We will be doing an online Bible study this summer using this devotional and the accompanying study guide, which will release this summer. We’d love for you to join us! So stay tuned! If you’re not signed up to be on my email list, be sure to sign up here so you don’t miss the announcement or anything else from Faithfully Stepping.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement on this topic, check out my post 10 Things to Try When Today is Too Hard to Face. A great book to read is A Shepherd’s Look at Psalm 23.

Want to Join Our 40 Days of Faith Booster?

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The Disciples’ Storm

In the Gospels, we read about a storm that took place when Jesus was in the boat with his disciples. He was exhausted from his early mornings and late night ministering to people, so when he got into the boat, he promptly fell asleep. While he slept, a huge storm built and soon wreaked havoc with their boat. It must have been some storm for these seasoned fishermen to be afraid! They wake up Jesus in a panic. “Don’t you care that we’re going to drown?!”

Jesus simply looks out at the wind and the waves and the tempest, and commands it to stop. The storm instantly stops, and the seas become peaceful once again. Then Jesus turns to his disciples. Don’t miss this part; don’t miss what he says when he looks each of them in the eye. He says this, “Why were you so afraid? Do you not have faith?”

Growing Faith that is Stronger than Your Struggle

Those words are still an indictment to us today. The world becomes a chaotic storm around us, and we panic and run to Jesus. “Don’t you know what’s going on? Have you seen what’s happening?! Where are you, God?” God simply looks at us and says, “My beloved child, don’t you have any faith?”

I don’t know about you, but I want to have the faith that Jesus expects me to have. I don’t want to fall apart when the path before me gets a little rocky, when the storms start swelling around me.

Uncertainty, Unrest, and Fear

It seems like everywhere you turn right now, there is unrest, uncertainty, and fear. What do we to combat that? The best way to combat our fear and uncertainty is to double down on our faith. How can we do that? How can we grow our faith?

Well, for our church, that means doing a spiritual growth campaign that is a 40-day booster for our faith. I invite you to join us.

What Is It?

It’s a forty-day study on faith that our church is leading. There are three parts to it.

The Sermon Series. Matt will be preaching every Sunday morning at 11:00 EST a series entitled, Growing Faith that’s Stronger than Your Struggle. You can catch those sermons on our Greater Philly Church Facebook Page. You can watch them live or watch the replay.
Weekly Small Group Study. We will meet in our small groups during the week and work through the accompanying 40 Days of Faith Study Guide. If you are interested, you can snag a copy of the study guide from Amazon and use it to start your own group. There are QR codes inside the study guide for links to the corresponding videos for this series that are free on YouTube.
Daily Devotional Study. For the final element our our forty days of faith, we will be working through our Faith for the Impossible 30-Day Devotional.

We all could use something positive to focus on right now. If we can do that and grow in our walk with God at the same time, then that’s a win in my book. I’m looking forward to this study to be able to do just that.

If you want to join in, use the links above to snag a devotional and a study guide, and be sure to check out our Facebook page on Sunday mornings.

If you aren’t really interested in joining us but still want the benefits of the study, I encourage you to grab a devotional and work through it by yourself at home. It will help you grow in your faith these next thirty days and take your focus off of yourself and your circumstances and put your focus back on God.

For More Encouragement

If this hits home with you, especially with the crisis in Ukraine, read my post, Finding Peace in Non-peaceful Times.