Today I’m beginning a new ongoing series called God Encounter. Have you ever had an experience where you “knew that you knew” God was real because He made Himself known to you in some way? An encounter with God inspires awe and strengthens our faith. It’s a cornerstone experience to go back to again and again through the years when you need to remember what God has done in your life; how real, good and sovereign He is.

For the past couple months I’ve been reading through the Bible in chronological order and as I read through each book I see person after person encountering God in profound ways. So, in this ongoing series we’ll focus on a different book of the Bible each week and look more in depth at one person’s personal encounter with God. I pray that reading about these God Encounters throughout the Bible will strengthen your faith and encourage you.

God-Alive-Sees-Me!
Some people say they would feel afraid to been seen by God. They think of God as a cosmic cop keeping a tally of all of their wrongdoing, waiting to give them a harsh sentence. But the fact is that God sees and knows everything about us and He loves us in spite of the negative parts. He is so gracious and full of mercy and love for us; and He looks for ways to to reveal His loving presence to us. One of my very favorite examples in the Bible of a God Encounter is in Genesis 16.

Meet Hagar.

Hagar was the Egyptian maidservant of Sarai (later called Sarah). God had promised Sarai that He would give her a child with her husband Abram (later called Abraham). Sarai got restless waiting for God to fulfill His promise to her and took matters into her own hands, making her husband marry Hagar and get her pregnant. After Sarai’s plan was “successful”, she began mistreating Hagar causing her to run away, while pregnant.

After she has fled, God meets Hagar where she is and gives her a promise about the son she is carrying. God reminds her that He hears her and answers her. He also tells her to go back and submit to Sarai. Instead of being upset about having to go back to a difficult situation, Hagar is full of awe, excitement and wonder as she proclaims in verse 13,“You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Or as The Message also translates it, “God-Alive-Sees-Me!” Because of this very personal encounter with God, Hagar knows that God is with her and this gives her the encouragement, strength and faith she needs to be obedient to what He told her to do.

But There’s More to Hagar’s Story…

Years later we read in Genesis 21 that Abraham and Sarah turn Hagar and her son out from their home with a little food and water. Not knowing what to do or where to go, Hagar wanders into the desert. Before long the food and water run out and Hagar begins to sob as she believes that she and her son will soon die.

“God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation. Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.” (Genesis 21:17-19)

Then we’re told that Hagar and her son settle in a city and live out their lives.

So…
Why does God care so much about a servant girl and her kid? So much so that He made a point to reveal Himself to her throughout her life and to rescue her from the brink of death? Two reasons come to mind. First, we know from Psalm 139 that God lovingly and carefully creates each one of us in our mother’s womb. He is quite concerned with everything that happens in our lives, just like a good father would be for their child.

And second, we also know from reading through the Bible that God is an advocate for the victim. Hagar was used and mistreated but God met her in the midst of her most desperate hours giving her the comfort of knowing that the God of all creation saw her, knew her, loved her and was there to help her.

May you know this week that God Alive Sees You and cares about every part of your life.