El-Roi - The God Who Sees

2P&P Weekly Blog for week of 4-10 October 2025

El Roi means “the God Who sees.”  

Have you ever felt invisible, unnoticed, like no one is listening? Ever felt like your prayers went about ceiling-high versus to the throne of God? Have you ever felt left out, chosen last, or were made fun of or mocked—perhaps for your stand of faith? Many Bible characters (including Jesus Himself) are on this list. So, how can we be encouraged through these difficult things? By turning to God and seeing the truth of Who He is and what He says about us!

Let’s look into the Scriptural scene of Hagar, Sarai’s handmaiden, to see the first glimpse of God as El Roi. Here’s the setting of the scene from Genesis 16: “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 

4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.’ 6 ‘Your slave is in your hands,’ Abram said. ‘Do with her whatever you think best.’ Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her (NIV).”

Notice that while God had made a promise—neither Sarai nor Abram waited upon the Lord. They made their own plan! Sarai thought she had found a way to accomplish God’s Will faster and more efficiently. But wow—let’s watch how this turned out. Her grand plan—backfired—and turned her heart bitter toward the woman who had been her servant. Sarai came to despise Hagar and sent her away. 

But it is through this wandering that Hagar is found (seen) by El Roi. “The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, ‘Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?’ ‘I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,’ she answered. 9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’ 10 The angel added, ‘I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.’ 11 The angel of the Lord also said 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. 

12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.’ 13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’ 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael (NIV).” 

I want to draw your attention to a couple of things—an angel found Hagar near a spring in the desert—1) This would be a place of refreshment, an invitation to rest, to pause, and it was at a crossroads. 2) She was asked a question that made her reflect on how she got to this place. 3) The angel gave her direction and guidance that may have seemed counter-intuitive to her natural inclination. 4) He gave her a prophetic promise for her future. 5) And she realized that God saw her—really knew who she was—in the middle of the desert, in a dry and dusty land. Here, she knew the Lord’s love personally and profoundly and was driven to her knees and obedience to her Master so that she would return to her station as Sarai’s servant. 

Later on in the Biblical Account: God had promised Abram and Sarai that they would have a child—children, in fact—they were promised descendants that would outnumber the grains of sand on the seashore. The thing was … they were nearly 90 and 100 years old. This is difficult for us to fathom; it was for them: 

“God said to Abraham, ‘I will change the name of Sarai, your wife, to Sarah. 16 I will bless her and give her a son, and you will be the father. She will be the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will come from her.’ 17 Abraham bowed facedown on the ground and laughed. He said to himself, ‘Can a man have a child when he is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth to a child when she is ninety?’ 

18 Then Abraham said to God, ‘Please let Ishmael be the son you promised.’ 19 God said, ‘No, Sarah your wife will have a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will make my agreement with him to be an agreement that continues forever with all his descendants. 20 “As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bless him and give him many descendants. And I will cause their numbers to grow greatly. He will be the father of twelve great leaders, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son whom Sarah will have at this same time next year.’ 22 After God finished talking with Abraham, God rose and left him.” Genesis 17:15-22 (NCV)

Bible Study Tip: Notice the times and ways that God promised blessing to Bible characters. Observe their responses. Look for lessons that we can learn from them. Research both the Old Testament, for example, Moses, Joseph, Joshua, Job, and Esther, and the New Testament, for instance, Zachariah, Mary, and Peter. Think about these types of blessings that helped each person feel acknowledged by God. 

Notice that Abraham laughed. You could say he had a normal, human reaction to this news. This is one of the things that I love about God’s Word. It also speaks to the authenticity of it—because the inspired Word gives us real insight into the minds and hearts of the people we are reading about and the mind of God at the same time! We are told what they said, did, how they acted, obeyed, or disobeyed—so that we can learn from them and apply these lessons to our own lives. They, too, were seen by God, loved and known by Him. His promises were fulfilled through each of these people because they had a relationship with Him. This is the key! 

It’s Your Turn to Experience God as El Roi—the One Who Sees You. 

Please Look Up & Read Psalm 33:18, Psalm 121:8, Psalm 139:1-4, & Isaiah 43:4.

2 Pause: I’m Listening, Lord, may Your Spirit speak into my heart! 

After reading these verses, how do you see God? Did you discover at least one new attribute of His character? 

From God’s Heart: 

Dear Child, I know you’ve sometimes felt a little like Hagar, like you’re in a desert, running away, waiting, unnoticed. Yet, I assure you that My eye has always been upon you. I’ve known your whereabouts from before your birth. I have great plans for you. What do I need from you? Surrender! Trust! Your heart! I need you to take one step of faith. 

Take My hand. Step out of the boat like Peter, but don’t take your eyes off Mine for a moment. I won’t let you slip. I won’t let you stumble. I’ve got you. You can depend on Me. And as for praying to Me and feeling like I’m not there—that’s not true. I’m always listening for your voice. I’m bending My ear to hear you. 

Sometimes, I’m waiting to hear your praise. Sometimes, I’m putting something together on your behalf. And sometimes, I want you to want Me, seek Me, love Me—like I do you. So press on, dear one; I’m right here. I am the spring that’s waiting to refresh you. Come. Be filled. Be quenched. And then let Me teach and guide you so you can obey My Will. 

2 Pray: 

Ask God to draw you into a deeper commitment toward prayer. Speak openly to Him about everything, anything, your greatest longings, needs, hopes, and dreams. And don’t forget to praise Him! Make a vow to spend at least a few minutes with Him daily. Then, build on that until your conversations become natural to include the Lord in every decision—great and small. 

• Here’s today’s Praise:

• Here’s my Request for Someone else:

• Here’s my Request for Myself:

• Here’s the area I’m seeking God’s Presence more acutely: 

Describe how knowing God as El Roi—being Seen by God—makes you feel loved. 

This entry is an excerpt from Deborah’s The Eternal Love of God Through the Lens of John 3:16 Bible Study. To enjoy more of this Bible Study, and to download the free E-Book version, click here for more information.

by: deborah goshorn-stenger 2 Pause and Praise Creations ©