The God Who Sees
For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9
Where’s Waldo is a search-and-find visual puzzle in which players challenge themselves to find Waldo, a character dressed in a red-and-white striped shirt, hat, and glasses, who is hidden in sprawling, crowded locations, surrounded by people, colors, distractions, and chaos. You can stare at the page for a long time and still not see him. He blends in. The creators make it almost impossible on purpose.
Feeling unseen means being overlooked or disregarded by others. Can you identify with any of these common, very human moments when people feel unseen? Doing the work while others get the credit. Not being appreciated or thanked for the work you do. Being consistently spoken over, interrupted, or ignored. When someone does not answer your call or respond to your text.
Hagar could definitely identify. She felt used and discarded. We first meet her in Genesis 16, where she was a maid servant of Sarai, Abram’s wife, who was barren. Since Sarai could not have a baby, she took control of the situation and gave Hagar to Abram as a wife. Hagar conceived and became pregnant with Abram’s child. Sarai was so jealous that she mistreated Hagar to the point that Hagar ran away from her. In her distress, afraid and unseen, an angel of the Lord spoke to her and told her to return to Sarai and submit to her authority. He promised that she would give birth to a son, Ishmael, and that her offspring would be too many to count.
Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her in Genesis 16:13: “You are El-roi,” for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?” Hagar was not unseen by God. In fact, he sought her out. He called her by name. He spoke to her pain. He made promises to her. And in response, she named him El Roi.
El Roi is not just the God who sees crowds or the “important” people. He sees all of us, individually. God never loses sight of us. He sees us, fully, personally, and lovingly. We do not blend in with the crowd. To be seen by God is not merely to be noticed but also to be known, understood, and cared for.
During Jesus’s earthly ministry, He saw individuals, not just crowds. He called people by name and knew their stories. One of my favorite Bible stories from my childhood is the story of Zacchaeus, a short tax collector despised and unseen by most people. He climbed into a sycamore tree to see Jesus. When Jesus approached, He saw Zacchaeus in the tree, called him by name, and initiated a personal connection despite the crowd’s disapproval.
Being seen by God means we are never alone. His seeing leads to His acting, in His time, in His way, always with purpose. Knowing that God sees us is not only comforting but also formative. Nothing is truly hidden from God. How does that make you feel? It shouldn’t scare us but rather create accountability, invite integrity, and motivate faithful living.
If you ever feel dismissed, ignored, or treated as invisible, the good news is that we have a God who sees. He sees us fully. May we live fully before Him!
Call to Action
Where do you feel unseen or overlooked?
Do you view God’s seeing as loving attention or harsh surveillance? Why?
How does remembering God’s mercy and love change the way you respond to being seen?
How does believing God sees you affect choices, private and public?
Digging Deeper
Check out these additional verses on God seeing us: Psalm 33:13-15, Psalm 139:1-18, Proverbs 15:3, and Hebrews 4:13. Here are other examples of Jesus seeing others: the blind beggar, Bartimaeus, in Mark 10:46-52; the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4; and the leper in Luke 5:12-13.
Prayer
El Roi, thank you for being near and seeing us individually, both our good and bad. Remind us today that we are fully seen and deeply loved. Help us to trust You and live for You.
Copyright © 2026 Kyle Cravens