by leaps and bounds

         Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You – Are – the God – Who – Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” (Genesis 16:13)

         Genesis 16 summarizes arguably the worst day of Hagar’s life, Sarai and Abram – impatient with the seemingly delayed fulfillment of God’s promise – had agreed to allow Abram and Hagar to conceive a child. However, once Hagar became pregnant, her relationship with Sarai quickly soured.  Hagar fled from Sarai’s presence.

         The Angel of the Lord found her beside a spring in the wilderness. She had nowhere to go and she did not know what to do. Essentially the Angel of the Lord said, “Go back and submit to your mistress. Your son, Ishmael, will be a great man and your descendants will be multiplied exceedingly.” At this point, Hagar realized God was speaking to her. She acknowledged something that Scripture bears out: He is the God who sees.

         Hannah wept and prayed to God outside of the temple. She was barren and she was desperate to have a son. God saw her and remembered her. She became the mother of Samuel the prophet. What was true then still stands today.

         At times we feel empty – as if there is nothing to live for. We may feel desperate to see the fruit manifested in our lives. When we experience barrenness, He is the God who sees.

         I Kings 19 tells about Elijah hiding out in a cave. God saw him and asked, “What are you doing here?” Depression was evident as Elijah answered, “Israel has killed your prophets. I am the only one left and they seek to kill me also.” God assured him that he was not alone and he still had God’s work to complete. Elijah left the cave and proceeded to do God’s bidding.

         If we aren’t careful, we can become depressed by our circumstances. This isn’t necessarily clinical depression – it is depression we feel if we think we are all by ourselves and no longer have real purpose. God sees us during these times and His message to us is, “If you’re still breathing, I am not done with you.”

         Consider also the stoning of Stephen in the Book of Acts. Persecuted to the point of losing his life, Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Although he was dying for proclaiming the Gospel, the Lord saw him. He was not alone.

         Sometimes living a Christian life is not easy. Not everyone likes what Christianity stands for. We may not be stoned for our faith, but people can make things difficult for us. Remember, no matter how tough it is, He sees us.

         Psalm 34:15 says, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.” Emptiness, desperation, depression nor persecution can change this truth. No matter our situation, we can say, “You are the God who sees.”

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Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.

Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children  — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter  — Breanna. 

Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.