I’ve had the concept of God seeing us on my mind a lot lately, in part because of the book I am currently reading, which is a Biblical fiction novel about the life of Rahab.
There are a lot of roads that could have led Rahab into a life as a prostitute and innkeeper in the city of Jericho, and this path could be imagined and debated on endlessly. But no matter what path led her to this broken place, the fact remains that this was her situation at the time Israel crossed the Jordan to conquer the Promised Land. This woman was living in a seemingly hopeless and dark place, and it must have seemed to her as if she was all alone with no one out there that could see her pain. No one who could see her.
But the God of Glory, Mercy, and Grace saw Rahab living in the walls of Jericho. He saw the broken state of her heart, the hopelessness that weighed her down, and her desire to be free of it all.
And so, in His goodness, He left the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep and rescue her from the bowels of sin.
The rest of Jericho was either crushed beneath the fallen city or struck down by the sword, but Rahab and anyone she brought into her home was saved.
In pondering Rahab’s powerful encounter with El Roi (The God Who Sees Me), I was reminded of another woman, the one who first referred to God by this name--Hagar.
Hagar was the concubine of Abraham and the mother of Ishmael. While Hagar’s relationship with Abraham certainly went against what God had wanted for Abraham, He nevertheless showed love and compassion towards this slave who was callously used then tossed aside. He sent His angel to meet her in the wilderness and promised her not only that she would bear a son, but that his descendants would be multiplied beyond counting. Then Hagar proceeded to call upon the Lord and say, “You are the God who sees me” [Genesis 16:13, NIV].
Even this Egyptian slave was seen by the God of the Universe. Even she wasn’t too lowly or too lost to gain His notice and His compassion.
How, then, can we ever think that we can escape the eyes of God?
If God could see Hagar in the wilderness, see Rahab living within the walls of Jericho, He can see us when we are hurting.
Sometimes the hurts or mistakes in our life can leave us feeling like we are sitting in a dark room, isolated and hidden from everyone. No one around us can see what we are going through, and they certainly can’t understand how we feel. They can’t see the fear that keeps us awake at night, the anxiety that plagues our every thought. The unworthiness that stoops our shoulders. The guilt that pesters our mind. The stress that wears us down.
But God sees.
He is looking down from heaven at any given moment and seeing what we are going through. We don’t have to wave Him down and get His attention. He’s always there, always watching, always ready to meet us right where we are.
All of this brings to my mind the lyrics of an “old” song that is dear to my heart—“His Eyes” by Steven Curtis Chapman.
Sometimes His eyes were gentle
And filled with laughter,
And sometimes they cried;
Sometimes there was a fire
Of holy anger,
In Jesus eyes.
But the eyes that saw hope in the hopeless,
That saw through the fault to the need,
Are the same eyes that look down from heaven
Into the deepest part of you and me.
His eyes are always upon us;
His eyes never close in sleep.
And no matter where you go,
You will always be in His eyes, in His eyes.
Sometimes His voice comes calling
Like rolling thunder,
Or like driving rain;
And sometimes His voice is quiet,
And we start to wonder
If He knows our pain.
But He who spoke peace to the water
Cares more for our hearts than the waves,
And the voice that once said "you're forgiven",
Still says "you're forgiven" today.
Sometimes I look above me when stars are shining
And I feel so small;
How could the God of heaven and all creation
Know I'm here at all.
But then in silence He whispers,
"My child, I created you too
And you're my most precious creation;
I even gave my Son for you."
His eyes are always upon us;
His eyes never close in sleep.
And no matter where you go,
You will always be in His eyes, in His eyes.
~ “His Eyes” by Steven Curtis Chapman
Every time I hear that song or read those words, emotion wells up inside me. How comforting is it to know that Jesus’ eyes are always upon us! He never sleeps, never takes a break from ruling over Heaven and earth, never gets distracted. There is no place where He cannot see us, nor any place too far for Him to reach. And even if we feel like no one else can know our pain, He does. He sees us right where we are.
Oh, what a beautiful God He is!
**Photo by Patrick Langwallner on Unsplash**
