3 Hagar – Seen by the God Who Finds You
Hagar’s story begins with silence and servitude.
She was a servant in another woman’s household—an Egyptian in a Hebrew home, powerless by position and vulnerable by status. Her life was shaped by decisions she did not make and circumstances she could not control. When Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham in an attempt to force God’s promise, Hagar became entangled in a divine plan she did not understand and a human conflict she could not escape. And when tension arose, Hagar ran.
She fled into the wilderness—pregnant, afraid, and alone. No resources. No protection. No future she could see. Only fear, rejection, and a long road of uncertainty ahead. But God met her there. Not in the tent of Abraham. Not in the comfort of community. But in the wilderness of abandonment.
An angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water and spoke to her personally. For the first time in her life, Hagar was not just used—she was seen. God called her by name. God acknowledged her pain. God spoke to her future. And in response, Hagar gave God a name no one had ever spoken before: “You are the God who sees me.”
Hagar teaches us that being unseen by people does not mean being unseen by God. When others overlook us, God finds us. When others misuse us, God speaks to us. When others discard us, God stays with us. But Hagar’s story did not end with that first encounter.
Years later, after Isaac was born, Hagar and her son Ishmael were sent away. Once again, she found herself in the wilderness—this time with a child and no water. When her resources failed, Hagar laid her son under a bush and walked away, unable to watch him die.
She had reached the end of her strength. And once again—God heard. God heard the cry of the child. God saw the agony of the mother. God opened Hagar’s eyes to a well she could not see before. Provision was already there.
Hope was already nearby. But grief had blinded her to it. Hagar teaches us that sometimes sorrow clouds our vision—but God’s provision is still present. What we cannot see, God has already prepared. What we have given up on, God is still sustaining.
Hagar was:
- Used without voice
- Rejected without justice
- Driven into the wilderness without protection
Yet God did not abandon her story. He preserved her son. He promised a future. He built a nation from her lineage. He proved that His mercy is not limited by human failure. Hagar’s life declares hope to every heart that has ever felt:
- Overlooked
- Misused
- Abandoned
- Forgotten
The God who saw Hagar in the desert still sees you where you are today.
In the wilderness of grief… In the wilderness of rejection… In the wilderness of uncertainty… You are still seen.
Reflection Questions
- Where in my life have I felt unseen or forgotten?
- Am I in a “wilderness” season right now?
- What provision might God already have placed near me that I have not yet seen?
Prayer
El Roi, God who sees me, thank You for finding me even when I feel lost. You see my tears, my fear, and my unanswered questions. Open my eyes to the wells of provision You have already prepared. In the wilderness places of my life, help me trust that I am never abandoned. I rest in the truth that I am seen by You.
