He sees me.

“You are the God who sees me.” —Genesis 16:13

Hagar, the mistreated, forced-into-pregnancy, Egyptian (not Hebrew) maidservant of Sarai, has run away. God notices she is missing and sends the angel of the Lord to search for her. She is “found” by him near a spring in the desert (women and water).

Knowing her by name, he says, “Hagar, servant of Sarai” (by whom she is known to him), and continues as a gentleman, “Where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.” The angel of the Lord also said to her:

“You are with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him, toward all his brothers.” (This was the word the Lord gave to Hagar.)

Hagar returns with the understanding that the fulfillment of the Lord’s plans is greater and higher than the pain she feels in this moment. She went back, fully submitted. For she was seen by the Lord.

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.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

“You are the God who sees me.” He sees me, and I am His.