He Sees Me: What Hagar’s Story Teaches Us About God’s Love

There’s this woman in the Bible whose story often gets passed over. Her name is Hagar. And to be honest, her story has been sitting heavy on my heart lately, maybe because I know what it feels like to be unseen, unheard, and just plain tired. 

Hagar was a servant. She didn’t have much of a voice or say in her own story. She was taken advantage of, mistreated, and tossed aside. And at one point, she ran away, broken, pregnant, and alone in the desert. 

But this is where it gets beautiful. Because even in the middle of nowhere, with her heart shattered and her future uncertain, God showed up.

The God Who Sees

In Genesis 16, when Hagar is at her lowest, the angel of the Lord appears to her. Not to shame her. Not to scold her. But to comfort her and remind her that she is not forgotten.  And in that moment, Hagar gives God a name: El Roi — The God who sees me. 

Y’all. That name alone sometimes brings me to tears. Because how many times have we sat in our own “desert” moments feeling forgotten? Feeling like nobody sees our pain, our effort, our exhaustion, our brokenness? 

And yet…God sees. He always has.

He Sees You Too

Hagar reminds me that even when we feel like we’re in the background, unseen and overlooked God still sees us. 

He sees the mom crying in her car after a long day. 

He sees the woman trying to hold her family together while quietly falling apart. 

He sees the one who feels betrayed, misunderstood, or pushed aside. 

He sees the one who’s been faithful but feels forgotten. 

And not only does He see us, He meets us. Right in our desert. Right in the middle of our mess.

Your Story Still Matters

Hagar wasn’t the main character in someone else’s story. But God made her the center of this part of His. That’s something powerful. 

Because it shows us that even when the world sees us as “less than,” God sees us as loved, known, and worthy of His presence. 

He didn’t just give her comfort, He gave her a promise. He told her He would bless her son, that her story was far from over. And girl, if you’re in a place where it feels like your story is on pause, or like your voice doesn’t matter, please hear me when I say: God is not done with you.

When You Feel Invisible, Remember El Roi

I don’t know what your desert looks like right now. Maybe it’s heartbreak. Maybe it’s betrayal. Maybe it’s confusion, or loneliness, or waiting on something that feels like it may never come. 

But whatever it is, I want you to know: He sees you.

Not just the smile you show others. But the weariness. The prayers you don’t have words for. The tears that fall when no one is around. 

Hagar’s story isn’t polished. It’s not glamorous. But it’s real. And it tells us something we all need to be reminded of: 

Even when the world passes us by, God never does.

Lord, thank You for being the God who sees me. Even when I feel invisible, forgotten, or pushed aside, You never look away. You meet me in the hardest places, and You remind me that I still matter to You. Heal the broken places in me. Restore what’s been lost. And help me trust that You are working, even when I feel unseen. In Jesus’ name, Amen.