El-Roi – the God Who Sees Me!

When Hagar knew she was pregnant she despised Sarah – her mistress who was barren. Sarah then mistreated her. To get even with the one that despises or mistreats is a fleshly response.
Have you been despised or mistreated or rejected or belittled?

In this story, Hagar fled from Sarah and as she was crying in the desert an angel met with her and asked her to go back to her mistress and submit to her. The God who saw Hagar despising Sarah, has also seen Hagar being mistreated. He had heard of her misery. ‘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 16:11).

Hagar responded by giving the well the name El- Roi. ‘Hagar named the LORD who spoke to her, “You are El Roi” because she said, “Can I still see after he saw me?” Therefore, that well is called Beer-lahai-roi; it’s the well between Kadesh and Bered”’ (Genesis16:13-14).

Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him and sold him as a slave to Egypt. Years later when Joseph became the Governor of Egypt and his brothers came to buy grain, his response was ‘Don’t be distressed or angry with yourselves for selling me here. It was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.’

Joseph and his brothers died and the new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, mistreated the descendants of Joseph and his brothers. Sometimes, we may experience this. All the good work we have done is forgotten, and we are mistreated.

El Roi, God who sees us, will not be silent to the injustice we face, nor silent to our pain of rejection. However, throughout this period He is pruning us.

How will we respond when we are rejected or mistreated? Will we sulk, lash back, or subtly, but surely, get even? Will it be a fleshly or a godly response? Colossians 3:13-14 says, ‘Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love.’  Perhaps we could put up with, or bear with, the person who rejects, despises or mistreats us. It’s a way of forgiving them. We could try doing acts of love towards the person. ‘Forgive as the Lord forgave you.’ It’s something to ponder.

May we never forget His forgiveness towards us and may we continue to forgive the one who wronged us. God has always shown his hand of deliverance and that’s what He will do eventually. Remember, those who push us away or reject us are only sending us closer to the destiny which God has designed for us. The one who continues to mistreat is not aware of El –Roi the God who sees us. Pray for them and bless them.