The God who sees me

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Genesis 16-17; Psalm 12

Genesis 16:13 (NIV)13 She [Hagar] gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Good morning!

Have you ever felt like God is watching you? If you have, then maybe you were comforted knowing His watchful eye is always there to protect you. Maybe you feel a bit uncomfortable knowing God is watching your every move. What if He sees the mistakes you make; the things you might not want Him to know about? Maybe you would prefer that God not see everything you say and do. Once when our grandson Jett stayed with us overnight, we were saying our bedtime prayers together. I asked Jesus to send his angels to come and watch over Jett while he slept. On that particular night, Jett sat straight up in the middle of the prayer and stated in a matter-of-fact tone, “Grandma Debbie, you can tell Jesus and his angels to go home now. I don’t want them to watch me sleep!”

There was a time when God’s watchful eye brought me great comfort. Many years ago, I was an in-patient at a local hospital, recovering from surgery. Our family lived approximately sixty miles from this hospital, and my husband Jeff was trying to care for me while seeing to the needs of our three young children at home. He was only able to visit me during the day for about an hour, and then he would have to leave the hospital and drive back home to be there for the children after school. I did not want to be alone in that room, especially at night, without Jeff there to help me. I was too sick to get up and move around without assistance. As I laid there, I prayed for the Lord to stay with me. I asked Him to hold my hand and calm my fear. A street light would shine through my window at night and it was bright enough to light up the walls of my room. Directly across from the bed and hanging next to the Crucifix on the wall, was a portrait of an angel. In the lamp light, I could see the warm glow of her face. She had the kindest eyes, and a smile that made me feel safe and protected. Her arms were outstretched as she watched over a little girl who appeared to be lost and wandering alone in the middle of the woods. I would doze off at night gazing at that picture. I was comforted by the angel who was watching over me, and I was able to close my eyes and rest.

Several weeks after I returned home, I mentioned to Jeff just how comforting that picture was to me. He did not recall seeing the picture. In fact, he insisted the portrait did not exist. One weekend while we were visiting the sick, Jeff and I stopped on the floor of the hospital where I had previously stayed. I asked the charge nurse if I could revisit my former room so that we could see the angel picture together. The nurse smiled at me as she walked us down the corridor. When we entered the room, the picture was gone. Only the Crucifix remained. The charge nurse said she recalled other patients who had previously stayed on the floor having seen the mysterious disappearing picture. They described the angel exactly the way I had, and she believed that this traveling portrait appeared to the sick to bring them an extra measure comfort and peace. It took ten years for me to locate a print of the picture I had remembered seeing during my stay at the hospital. This angel picture hangs in our parsonage today, and every time I look at it, I thank God for sending me a special angel when I really needed one.

Hagar, an Egyptian maidservant, submitted to Sarai’s wish to give Abram the child he had long hoped for. At Sarai’s request, Abram took Hagar to be his wife, and she became pregnant. Hagar’s jealousy toward Sarai spurred a conflict between the two of them, and Sarai mistreated her. An angel appeared to Hagar at the spring near the desert where she was found hiding from her mistress. The angel told Hagar to return home and submit to her. He announced that Hagar would indeed bear Abram’s son, and that his name would be Ishmael. Hagar named her angel, “You are the God who sees me.” She obeyed the angel and returned to Abram and Sarai, knowing she was not alone, and that the Lord had sent a special angel to keep watch over her.

God is with you. He sees everything. He hears everything. He knows everything. And He is there just when you need Him the most. Be comforted in His holy presence. Look up! You may see a special angel watching over you today.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: comfort in knowing you are never alone. God is with you all the time, and if you seek Him, He will find you just when you need Him the most.

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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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