God Sees You

When I was fifteen, my granddad was hospitalized. When I went to visit him, he was screaming, and my mom wouldn’t let me go into his room. I sat in the hall and listened as he cried out in desperation. I heard every word.

“Jesus, dear Jesus. I want to come home. Jesus, please release me from this body. I want to come home, dear Jesus.”

I listened to those words echo down the hall over and over. I now realize that my granddad had the same desire as Paul “to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Philippians 1:23). Grandpa had been paralyzed and had suffered for years. He was a man of faith who believed God was with him.

I am reminded of Hagar, who fled from Sarai into the desert. My granddad must have felt as if he had been left in the desert. When Hagar was in the desert, the angel of the Lord told her,

Go back to your mistress and submit to her. — Genesis 16:9

The angel promised Hagar that her descendants would be “too numerous to count” (Genesis 16:10). After Hagar’s encounter with the angel, she said,

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

When we are grieving, we may feel like we are in the desert. Yet it is when we are there that we can see God clearly. Hagar realized that while she was in the desert. She said, “I have now seen the One who sees me” (Genesis 16:13).

In our grief, we can more clearly see God because He meets us in the desert to provide guidance and comfort.

God does not abandon us. While our family and friends may abandon us, God stays with us every step of the way. In John 14:18, Jesus promised,

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Although we may not feel like God is with us, we have to remember that

faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. — Hebrews 11:1

When we are grieving and our hearts are crying out for comfort, God is there. He understands what we are experiencing. God comforts us (see 2 Corinthians 1:2–4). When we turn to God and pour out our hearts in grief, God reaches out and provides comfort to us — even when our friends and family cannot understand our heartache.

• Prayer provides an avenue for us to open our hearts to God.

God sees you. He’s listening. Even when you can’t find the words, He hears you.

God, I feel so alone. I don’t know how I can cope. Please comfort me and help me know that You see me and love me. Amen.

~by Beth Robinson

Excerpted with permission from When Grief Goes Deep: Where Healing Begins, edited by Timothy J. Beals, copyright Timothy J. Beals.

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Your Turn

Do you feel alone in your trouble? It’s easy to feel that way and think that way. But, God is with you! He will never leave you. He sees you. He loves you! Let’s pray today for His comfort and a deep sense of His presence. ~ Devotionals Daily