Don’t think for a moment that God is blind. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” and “No creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

There are over 100 different names of God that enumerate His various qualities, but most are more familiar with these names: Jehovah-Jireh (God our provider), Jehovah-Nissi (God our banner of victory), Jehovah-Shalom (God our peace), and Jehovah-Rapha (God our healer).

In Genesis 16:1-13, we discover a not too popular name of God given by a not too popular person that confirms that God is not blind. Do y’all remember Hagar’s testimony? After she became pregnant with Abram’s baby, Sarah began to mistreat her. The Bible doesn’t go into the details, but the abuse was enough to cause the slave girl to run away into the dessert—alone and pregnant in a foreign land. Away from her people. Without any resources.

So there was Hagar in the dessert, collapsed beside what I imagine to be the lone water source amongst miles of sand and rock. She was so very alone. Suddenly, a heavenly being appeared to her, and they started chatting. After explaining her current situation, the angel instructed her: “Go back to your mistress and submit to her. […] You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery.”

Hagar didn’t question him. She didn’t beg the angel to have God provide another way. Instead this Egyptian slave girl said, “I have now seen the One who sees me” (v. 13). On a side bar, Hagar is the only person in the Bible—male or female, Jew or Gentile—who’s named God personally.

In closing, El-Roi (the God who sees) is not blind to our plight. Nothing escapes His divine notice nor His watchful eye. Our current situation has not taken Him by surprise, although it may have taken us by surprise. God sees our suffering, God sees our need, God sees our tears, but more importantly, God sees our victory (Jehovah-Nissi)!

We can rejoice knowing that God sees us and like Hagar we too can say, “I have seen the One (Jesus) who sees me.”

#BeStrong