Does God See Me ? Series

INTRODUCTION

We've been talking about God's oil throughout this series. We've seen how you can't stop God's oil from flowing. We've watched the widow's oil multiply beyond imagination. We've learned about positioning ourselves to receive. But this morning, I want to address a question that I know some of you are asking in the quiet moments, in the middle of the night, when you're all alone with your thoughts.

Does God see me?

God does not see humanity in general. Neither does God see the church. Neither does God see other people. Does He see me? Does He see my struggle? Does He see my pain? Does He see what I'm going through right now? Does He see the tears I've cried when nobody else was around? Does He see the prayers I've whispered when I didn't have the strength to speak them out loud?

Turn with me to Genesis 16. I want to show you a woman who asked that very question. Her name was Hagar. And she was invisible. At least, that's what she thought.

Hagar was a servant, an Egyptian slave girl given to Abraham and Sarah. When Sarah couldn't have children, she gave Hagar to Abraham to bear a child in her place. And Hagar did. She conceived. But then everything fell apart. Sarah became jealous. She began to mistreat Hagar. The Bible says Sarah dealt harshly with her. And Hagar, pregnant and alone, ran away into the wilderness.

Can you imagine? She's carrying a child she didn't ask for, in a situation she didn't choose, serving people who don't value her. She's used, abused, and then discarded. So she runs. She goes out into the desert, sits by a spring, and breaks down.

Nobody knows where she is. Nobody cares that she's gone. Nobody's coming to look for her. She's alone. Invisible. Forgotten.

Or so she thinks.

Because in Genesis 16:7, something happens that changes everything. "The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert." Found her. Not happened upon her. Not stumbled across her. Found her. Like He was looking for her. Like He knew exactly where she was. Like she wasn't invisible after all.

This morning, I want to answer the question that's in your heart: Does God see me? And I want to show you that the same God who saw Hagar in the wilderness sees you in yours.

Let's pray.

I. GOD SEES YOU IN YOUR PAIN

The first thing I need you to understand is that God sees you in your pain. He sees what you're going through. He sees what's hurting you. He sees the wounds that nobody else knows about.

When the angel of the Lord finds Hagar in Genesis 16:8, He asks her a question: "Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"

Now think about that. God already knows the answer. He knows where she came from. He knows what happened. He knows about Sarah's jealousy, about the abuse, about the mistreatment. He knows why she's running. But He asks anyway. Why? Because He wants her to know that He sees. He wants her to tell her story. He wants her to voice her pain.

And Hagar answers honestly: "I'm running away from my mistress Sarai."

She doesn't pretend. She doesn't sugarcoat it. She doesn't put on a spiritual mask and act like everything's fine. She tells the truth. I'm running away. I'm hurt. I can't take it anymore. I'm done.

And God doesn't rebuke her. He doesn't tell her to toughen up. He doesn't say, "You shouldn't feel that way." No. He meets her right where she is, in her pain, in her brokenness, in her moment of complete desperation.

Church, can I tell you something? God sees you in your pain. He sees the abuse you've endured. He sees the rejection you've experienced. He sees the betrayal that broke your heart. He sees the loss that's crushing you. He sees the diagnosis that terrifies you. He sees the financial pressure that's keeping you up at night. He sees the relationship that's falling apart. He sees it all.

And not only does He see it, He cares about it. You're not invisible to Him. You're not forgotten. You're not alone. He knows your name. He knows your story. He knows what you're going through.

Some of you have been carrying pain for so long that you've convinced yourself nobody cares. You've told yourself that your struggle doesn't matter, that nobody would understand, that you just need to push through and keep going. But God is saying to you today what He said to Hagar: I see you. I know where you've come from. I know what you're going through. And I haven't forgotten you.

The oil of God flows to those who are hurting. It flows to those who are broken. It flows to those who feel invisible. Because God sees you in your pain, and He's not going to leave you there.