NIV Heart of Gold Holy Bible NIV Heart of Gold Holy Bible - Sampler | Page 7

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DEVOTION
02
God Sees You
“[Hagar] gave this name to the L ORD who spoke to her: ‘You
are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the
One who sees me.’ ” ~ GENESIS 16:13
H
ave you ever felt misunderstood, like no one gets you? Have
you ever felt invisible, like nobody notices what you do? Or
maybe it seems like, no matter how hard you try, nobody
wants to be your friend. It hurts a lot to be lonely, and you’re not
the only one who feels alone. In fact, most everybody feels lonely
at some point in their lives.

Hagar’s story in the Bible is full of loneliness. Hagar came
from Egypt, but she became Abraham and Sarah’s slave and
traveled all the way to the promised land with them. Sarah envied
Hagar because Hagar became pregnant, and Sarah could not
have children. Sarah was mean to Hagar, so Hagar ran away
into the desert. Can you imagine being alone in a strange
desert with no family, no friends, nothing? Hagar must have
felt scared and unloved.

As Hagar sat by a spring in the desert, God’s angel called
her by name and promised her she would have a powerful son.
God didn’t just see Hagar alone by the well. He saw her hurting
heart. He saw her future. So Hagar gave God a name: “The God
Who Sees Me.”

Did you know there is a God who sees you? God
doesn’t just see your outside; he sees everything: your
hopes and dreams, your disappointments and sadness,
the places in your heart where mean things people said
still hurt. If you ever feel alone and lost like Hagar was
feeling, remember that there is a God who sees you and
knows everything happening in your life. He is there to talk to
you, to comfort you, and to guide your next step.
PRAYER: Dear God, thank you for seeing me even when
I feel alone. You give me peace and comfort that no one else
can provide.