Going through a season where you feel invisible and as though God Has forgotten you? A rough path where your pain seems unnoticed and your prayers go unanswered?
Well, that can be crushing, discouraging, and simply confusing. How can the omniscient and omnipresent not take notice of your plight?
In this piece, we will talk about the remarkable power of God’s name, El-Roi. The aim is to remind you that even in the times we feel forgotten and unseen by all, God sees you. And not merely in a general, distant way. He sees you personally, lovingly, and attentively.
Let’s give it a go.
The story behind El Roi
In Genesis 16, we meet Hagar. Hagar’s background is complex, messy, and painful. She was a slave in Abraham’s household, whom Sarah gave to her husband Abraham as a surrogate, a decision rooted in impatience rather than faith.
When Hagar conceived, tension erupted. Sarah mistreated her, and the heavily pregnant Hagar fled into the harsh wilderness with no protection, no family, no plan, and no hope.
It is there, in the scorching heat of her despair, that God found her. He called her by name and acknowledged her pain. He then gave her directions, and He spoke promises over her life and her unborn son.
Hagar is blown away so much that God would take notice of her, a foreign slave girl, and responds in a declaration that echoes through history: You are the God who sees me (Genesis 16:13).
In that declaration, we get the name El Roi – the God who sees.
A woman who thought she was invisible and an outcast discovered the loving God who sees us in and through all.
But what does El Roi really mean? Let’s talk about that next.
What does the name El Roi Mean?
El Roi is derived from the Hebrew root ra’ah, which means “to see.” But it is deeper than eyesight.
God doesn’t merely observe, He perceives, understands, and knows fully. Therefore, El-Roi means:
- God sees your unique situation
- God sees your motives and fears
- God sees the injustice you endure
- God sees the future He is guiding you toward
- God knows every detail about your life.
Hagar felt invisible socially, emotionally, and spiritually. But God proved that no one is outside His view.
Caution. God’s name El Roi should not be confused with El Rohi, which depicts God as a good shepherd.
Where Else Do We See This God Who Sees?
Though the Bible mentions El Roi only once in Genesis 16:13, it alludes to the God who sees in other Scriptures.
For instance:
Psalm 139:1-24
The Psalmist paints a picture of an omniscient God whom no one can hide from. From your formation in the womb, God knows every thought, tear, and step. He knows every internal and external detail of your life.
All that remains is for you to allow God to search the inner you and point you in the right everlasting path.
2 Chronicles 16:9
Do you fear God? Rejoice. His eyes search the earth to strengthen those who trust Him.
Matthew 6:4, 6, 18.
When you do good, you don’t need to blow your horn to catch God’s attention. El Roi, the God who sees what is done in secret and rewards openly.
Luke 7:13
In Luke, we meet another desperate woman. With her only son dead, that spelt doom for the widow of Nain in that patriarchal society. When Jesus saw her in the funeral procession, He was moved with compassion and restored the young man’s life.
The conclusion we draw from these accounts is that God did not cease to see. The God who saw Hagar still sees His children today.
Good, but how does that apply to me today? Let’s discuss that next.
Do not fear
While the fact that God sees us at all times might appear scary at first, it should be comforting.
More often than not, that fear comes from past experiences where someone saw us without our knowledge and reprimanded us for what we were doing.
Just like what many of us at St. Peter’s Mumias Boys Primary School endured.
Mr. Shieyo, the deputy headteacher, had this habit of standing quietly by the classroom window, watching the noisemakers and troublemakers without their knowledge.
Then, moments later, he would walk in through the door, call out each culprit by name, and summon them to the front of the class for some four strokes of the cane which mysteriously appeared from the sleeves of his shirt.
This uncanny ability to appear out of nowhere earned him the nickname pepo (ghost in Swahili).
Friend, God is not like my teacher. Mr. Shieyo saw in secret for the sole purpose of punishing the evil he saw. Not so God. At least, not all the time.
Of course, the fact that God sees you at all times should remind you that you cannot hide anything, including sins, from Him. That should then motivate you to do the right thing.
However, if you are doing good and striving to live for God, not in sin, you have nothing to fear about God seeing you. If anything, it should be comforting.
God seeing you means that God is looking closely into your affairs. Nothing good or bad that happens to you can escape His keen attention.
You are seen!
So, are you feeling lonely? You are not forgotten. God sees where you are and walks with you there.
Are you feeling wounded and heartbroken? The God who is close to the brokenhearted sees and notices your tears (Psalm 34:18). El Roi records your sorrows and collects your tears (Psalm 56:8).
Feeling your labor in church is neither noticed nor appreciated? God takes notice of your labor and will reward it (1 Corinthians 15:58/ Hebrews 6:10).
Questioning your worth? God’s attention is proof of your value. If the Almighty sees you, you matter.
Whatever is making you feel invisible, saint, God Has not forgotten you. God sees you. He knows you. He knows your plight. And you can be sure He hears your prayers.
And even when you might not see outward manifestations at the moment, He’s working things in the background.
After all, He Has promised never to forget you (Isaiah 49:15-16).
Conclusion: El Roi, the God Who Sees Me
Desert seasons have a way of making us feel invisible to God, but let this piece remind you that El-Roi is not only Hagar’s God, He is yours too.
Next time you go through a season that you feel as though God does not see you, remember this: You are fully seen, deeply known, and profoundly loved by the God who never takes His eyes off you.
You can walk with confidence today, not because people notice you, but because God does.
You can also read:
The Sad Reality of Biblical Illiteracy in the Information Age