“How unutterably sweet is the knowledge that our heavenly Father knows us completely.”
A.W. Tozer
Last week’s post described various reasons why taking care of our hearts is not a priority. Even though God encourages us in Proverbs 4:23 to pay attention to what goes on in our hearts because He knows it will come out in our lives, our lack of time and intention with emotional healing shows we don’t fully believe Him. And often it’s our inaccurate perceptions about God that causes us not to trust Him and His Word.
As a child, I lacked having a healthy emotional connection with my earthly dad and because of that experience, I believed God the Father was like my dad - distant, critical, and not there for me. Our enemy distorts God’s image with lies, making us doubt His goodness. We need to confront those lies that don’t align themselves with God’s character, as seen in His Word. We will never rise beyond our beliefs about God and that’s why it’s crucial to have a correct understanding of who He is.
I love the story about Hagar, Sarai’s servant, found in Genesis 16. Hagar, while carrying Abram’s child, was being mistreated by her mistress so she ran away. While distraught and in the wilderness, the angel of the Lord found Hagar, called her by name and asked where she came from and where she was going. Through her dialogue with the angel, Hagar discovered God as El Roi, the God who sees. The Lord not only saw her in her distress but knew her and cared enough about her to encourage her to do the hard, yet right thing – to return to Sarai.
The first time I experienced God as El Roi was while on a short-term mission trip in Africa. God gave me a word of knowledge for a missionary teenager about how God saw his emotional pain. This young man always had a smile on his face and had a great sense of humor, so I wasn’t sure if I’d heard God correctly. After I delivered His message, the teen wrote back, “How did you know?” God saw, knew, and cared about him, so much so He sent a messenger from Omaha.
Likewise, God sees you, knows you, and cares about you – where you’ve been, where you are today, and where you will go in the future. Hebrews 4:13a says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.” I hope you find comfort in that verse. Get to know God as El Roi, the God who sees you.
“There is nothing round the corner which is beyond God’s view.”
J. Charles Stern
Relevant Reflection:
Describe a time when you experienced God as El Roi, the God who sees.
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