Blessed is She: Part 2
This is the second letter in the series, Blessed Is She.
We also invite you to enjoy our first letter "Promises, Promises" and our third letter "Gems."
Dear Friend,
Imagine this:
You're alone. Finally, alone. Relief washes over you.
But just as quickly, a wave of fear comes. What next?
You ran from a complicated situation.
Now you're in a barren wasteland.
Thankfully, you found a spring of fresh water.
It's small consolation. In the coming hours, you know you've got to find food. Shelter.
Where are you going? You have no idea. But you better figure it out because a child is growing inside your swelling belly.
You've just put yourself in the shoes of Hagar. In that impossible situation in the desert, God meets Hagar. [Insert record scratch.] What?
God meets her. And Hagar meets God. Wow.
He shares that He has a plan for her future and that of her child. He even gives her the next step so she can get out of danger. I encourage you to read the whole story on Genesis 16, but I want us to camp out on her reaction to this encounter with God:
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 NIV
It's interesting that Hagar gives a name to God. Like no one ever told her about God before. (What a tragedy.) But the name she gives God is as good as any in the whole Bible:
The God Who Sees Me.
Try saying that out loud: "You are the God who sees me."
You may feel like you just said that to an empty room. I guarantee that God heard you.
Let's contemplate this a little bit:
We can imagine Hagar saying, "God, you see me. You see who I have become. You see that I am desperate, alone, hanging on by a thread, hungry, between a rock and a hard place. You see the way I've been treated. You see the injustice. You see the way other people's messes got dumped on me. You see how I added my own mess. You see my pain. You see my impossible situation."
Hagar came to this moment of desperation. And God met her there. And that interaction with the Eternal Creator changed everything.
What does God SEE about YOU in this moment, right there where you are?
What do YOU say to God in this moment?
Hagar said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."
Hagar got to see God in a supernatural way. Have you seen God? Are you ready to see Him?
Are you ready for a supernatural encounter with God?
He is close to those who call out to Him. See with eyes of faith that He is nearby as you speak to Him.
Another great way to encounter God is super simple: daily open your Bible.
You'll discover a God who sees you, who knows you, who is 100% for you, so much that He gave everything for you.
Don't know where to start? Can I recommend the Psalms, especially Psalm 139?
Friend, I bless you on this beautiful journey of being seen.
Love,
Your friend
Ponder. Pray. Practice.
I imagine Hagar pouring out something like the following to God. What would you like to pour out to God? Consider praying or journaling your own words.
God, you see me.
You see my pain.
You see my scars.
You see my impossible situation.
You see my heart.
You see my hopes.
You know my past.
You know the way I've been treated.
You know the choices I've made.
You know the jam I got into.
You know my fears.
You know how I struggle with ___
You know the injustice of ___
You know how I'm angry about ___
You know my sadness about ___
You know my frustration with ___
You see my need for ___
You hear my questions about ___
You hear my cry for ___
You see my hope for ___
You see all of me.
You know me.
You are the God who sees me.
Whatever you wrote or spoke, know that your loving God heard you.