El Roi – The God Who Sees Me

“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 me. Not just “The God who sees,” but “who sees me”—in my pain, my wandering, my fear, and my forgottenness. Hagar was a servant, a foreigner, a pregnant woman on the run, cast out into the desert by people who used her and then discarded her. But God didn’t overlook her like everyone else did. He came to her in the wilderness. He called her by name. And she gave Him one of the most intimate titles in Scripture: El Roi.

This is not the gaze of a judge scanning for faults. This is the attentive eye of a compassionate Father who sees us completely and loves us entirely. El Roi watches the unseen. He notices the overlooked. He pays attention to the ones who live in the margins of society—and in the margins of life. And when He sees, He acts. He listens. He responds with grace and truth.

To be seen by God is to be known without shame. It means our tears are counted, not wasted. Our efforts, even when unnoticed by others, are remembered by Him. It means we are never invisible—not in the crowd, not in the chaos, not in the quiet. When Hagar had no status, no safety, and no place to go, she found this one unshakable truth: God sees me.

One day, in eternity, that seeing will become sight. We will look into the eyes of the One who has watched over us every moment of our lives. There will be no misunderstanding, no distance, no veil. The God who saw us in the desert will welcome us into a city with no darkness and no hiding. The full light of His gaze will bring not fear, but peace.

Until then, we live seen. We walk through hidden seasons and unnoticed faithfulness with confidence, knowing El Roi never looks away. And when we feel forgotten, when the silence screams louder than comfort, we remember—He sees. He always has. He always will.

Commentary 1. Why the name was used in its original biblical context: The name El Roi was given by Hagar, an Egyptian servant of Sarah, after she fled into the wilderness while pregnant with Abraham’s son. Alone and desperate, she encountered the angel of the Lord who called her by name, gave her instructions, and made promises concerning her son. Overwhelmed by the divine attention and care, Hagar named God El Roi—“the God who sees me.” It was the first and only time in Scripture that someone gave God a name based on such a personal encounter.

2. What it meant to the speaker: To Hagar, El Roi meant she was not forgotten or invisible. She had no title, no influence, and no power, yet God met her with compassion and clarity. She felt seen in her suffering, her motherhood, her confusion. El Roi became her anchor, her comfort, and her courage to return and continue her journey under the covering of divine watchfulness.

3. What it means in light of Jesus Christ: In Jesus, El Roi walks among us. He sees the crowds and has compassion. He notices Zacchaeus in a tree, a bleeding woman in a crowd, a widow at a funeral. Christ demonstrates that God's seeing is always accompanied by loving pursuit. He sees us in our brokenness and enters it, redeeming it through the cross. And one day, His seeing will be face-to-face—where we will be fully known, fully loved, and forever held in His gaze.

🙏 Prayer: El Roi, You are the God who sees me when no one else does. Thank You for meeting me in the desert places, for calling me by name, and for never turning away. Teach me to live each day aware of Your watchful love, and help me trust that even when I feel unseen by the world, I am fully known and cherished by You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Today's Post was taken from Calling on the Names of God: Adding Depth to Your Walk With Christ [Get the Book]

God bless you as you go deeper with Christ Jesus!