A bad idea that leads to big problems. (Genesis 16:1-6)

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. … Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. —Genesis 16:3-4, 6

You can’t go anywhere where God can’t find you.

The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. —Genesis 16:7

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? —Psalm 139:7

Sometimes it’s not what you’re running to. It’s what you’re running from.

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. —Genesis 16:8

• You can’t spend the rest of your life running from everything that is uncomfortable.

God gives Hagar’s life a purpose.

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. —Genesis 16:9-11

God brings redemption in the midst of suffering.

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.” —Genesis 16:13

El Roi – the God Who Sees

• God sees us when no one else does.
• He sees, He knows, He cares and He is at work, giving my life purpose in the midst of my troubles.

…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. —Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB

Because God sees you, you can run to God with confidence instead of running away.

• Fix your eyes on Jesus.
• Face the uncomfortable things in your life.
• Align your life with God’s purpose.

Because God sees you, you can run with God to demonstrate the truth that we are seen by a God who loves us.

Discipleship Guide

Let’s Connect

• What is something you’ve done that you later regretted?

Let’s Talk About It

Ever felt invisible or unseen? All of us do at times because we have a legitimate need to be seen, known, valued and loved. But what happens when we stop seeing other people or when people stop seeing us? A forgotten, unwanted, unseen slave named Hagar learned that you can find hope and strength in the reality that God sees you even when no one else does. He sees you, He knows your situation and He cares. And God is at work giving purpose to your life in the midst of trouble. He brings redemption in the midst of suffering. In Christ, we are assured that God sees us when no one else does, so we can run to Him with confidence to face troubling situations.

Genesis 16:1-13; Psalm 139:7; Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB

• Which part of the message made an impact, caught your attention or challenged you?

• How have you experienced the pain of being overlooked, forgotten, unappreciated or just unseen? How could seeking to see and understand who others really are, help us not be blind to them? Is there anybody in your life that should be seeing but may not be seeing?

• Read Genesis 16:1-13. What were the consequences of Abraham and Sarah’s ill-conceived plan? When an angel asked Hagar where she had come from and where she was going, she replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.” Are you running from something? If so, what? How can God’s compassionate response to Hagar – knowing that God sees you and is at work giving purpose to your life – give you courage to face your situation and not give up?

• Read Psalm 139:7 How does knowing you can’t go anywhere where God can’t find you bring you comfort and hope? Discuss how God intervenes and shows compassion to Hagar. What does this tell you about God? Why is it important for us to know that He is El Roi – the God who sees us? How does knowing that God sees and hears you strengthen you with courage?

• What does this Bible passage teach us about how we should relate other people? Think of someone whom you would consider “an outsider.” How can you show them the love of Christ this week?

Take a Step

• Reach out to someone who may be feeling “unseen” in this season. Take a step to show them that they’re not alone and God sees them in their pain and suffering.

SOAP reading:

• Day 1: Genesis 44-46, Luke 18
• Day 2: Genesis 47-48, Psalm 10, Luke 19
• Day 3: Genesis 49-50, Psalm 8, Luke 20
• Day 4: Exodus 1-2, Psalm 88, Luke 21
• Day 5: Exodus 3-5, Luke 22
• Day 6: Exodus 6-8, Luke 23
• Day 7: Exodus 9-11, Luke 24

Here’s My Prayer

• God, thank you being El Roi, the God who sees me. Thank you for seeing me, for hearing me for rescuing me in my time of need. Help me to remember there is nothing in my life you don’t see and nothing you can’t fix. I want to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross so I could be forgiven and restored in right relationship with the God who sees me.