Episode 291: El Roi — The God Who Sees
Download MP3Have you ever looked up and wondered if God is even paying attention, or worse, if he sees but doesn't care? This week Dot and Cara sit with Hagar's story in Genesis 16 and the God who sees, El Roi. They talk about why God didn't change Hagar's circumstances but met her in them, what the Hebrew word behind "seeing" reveals about his heart, and a surprise monarch butterfly that reminded Cara she is seen. Pull up a chair, grab your Bible, and lean in with us.
Episode Recap
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Episode Recap
- Intro (00:00)
- Write this down: Genesis 16:7-13, Hagar and the God who sees her (00:15)
- God sees, but do you care? Dot and Cara on why that question matters (01:51)
- God didn't change Hagar's circumstances, and why that is exactly where we need hope (03:52)
- El Roi in the Hebrew: God doesn't just see us, he has regard for us (07:22)
- When God asks you to stay in the hard place, and the honest "if God loved me" questions (10:31)
- What good came out of Hagar's story, for Hagar, Abraham, Sarah, and for us (14:05)
- This isn't our story, but it is a glimpse into God's heart, and he is most glorified when he's all we've got (16:55)
- Cara's monarch butterfly story and the little moments that remind us God sees us (18:33)
- Circumstances can change in a minute, but seeing God in them is a gift: he gave her the strength to endure (27:18)
Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.
This Episode’s Scripture Verse
Genesis 16:7-13 (ESV) — "The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, 'Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?' She said, 'I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.' The angel of the Lord said to her, 'Return to your mistress and submit to her.' The angel of the Lord also said to her, 'I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.' And the angel of the Lord said to her, 'Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.' So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, 'You are a God of seeing,' for she said, 'Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.'"
