We are living in very unique times, to say the least.
Some are wondering where God is in all of this.
Doesn’t he see all that is going on?
Genesis 16:13 says: “Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.”
She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?”
This is the only place in all of Bible that the very important name for the Lord EL ROI appears.
It means “The Strong One Who Sees” and it assures us that He is always the all-powerful God who sees.
The context of this name of God is that Sarah regretted her fleshly attempt to help God fulfill His promise of a son by suggesting that Abraham sleep with her servant Hagar.
After he did and she was pregnant, Sarah treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.
The Angel of the LORD appeared to her by a desert spring.
The Angel of the LORD was always a physical appearance of Christ before He took on His permanent body.
Hagar at this time felt abandoned by man and God and EL ROI comes to meet her at the time of her deepest need.
She was a friendless, poor, homeless, servant girl, who was being forced by Sarah’s harsh treatment, to run away and die in the desert.
She finds out that the living God of her master Abraham saw her in her time of affliction, despair and great need.
He gives her specific direction in her situation and encourages her with His presence and promise.
She realized He understood all of her needs. Out of this intimate experience with the LORD she called Him, EL ROI, The Strong One Who Sees.
EL ROI sees everything situation in our lives, and as the Strong One, He meets all our needs.
He shows personal interest in us through His presence in us and gives us direction through His Word and promises.
He encourages us by showing us He understands all that we are going through in life.
We have all had things happen to us we wish hadn’t, or we are going through problems or issues we wish we weren’t going through.
Maybe during these times we feel we are drowning and are completely alone.
The Times-Reporter of New Philadelphia, Ohio, reported in September 1985 a celebration of a New Orleans municipal pool.
The party around the pool was held to celebrate the first summer in memory without a drowning at the New Orleans city pool.
In honor of the occasion, 200 people gathered, including 100 certified lifeguards.
As the party was breaking up and the four lifeguards on duty began to clear the pool, they found a fully dressed body in the deep end. They tried to revive Jerome Moody, 31, but it was too late.
He had drowned surrounded by lifeguards celebrating their successful season.
When we feel we are drowning, thankfully, our EL ROI, our Strong One Who Sees, is always there for us seeing us through each of our situations.
Blessings!
Pastor Ken Keeler, Director of Church Ministries