Chosen Reflections: I See You
I was long overdue for new eyeglasses and finally scheduled an eye exam. Funny how what I thought was good vision became less so when measured against a perfect standard. I quickly learned I didn’t see as clearly as I had thought.
Thankfully, God doesn’t need glasses. He doesn’t need any help to see us. Take a moment now to personalize that. Say it aloud: God sees me.
God sees you. Yes, you. Toiling in obscurity while others collect accolades. Serving while others party. Sacrificially giving a “widow’s mite” (Mark 12:41-44) while others are recognized for huge donations.
In episode eight of The Chosen’s first season, Jesus arrives at the home of Simon (Peter). Picking up on the conversation we looked at in last week’s post, Jesus tells Eden, Simon’s wife, “I see you.”
Three simple words, each no more than three letters, yet they spoke to Eden’s heart, and they speak volumes to us today.
One of the names of God revealed in the Bible is El Roi, the God who sees me . . . and you. He saw Hagar as she ran from Sarah’s mistreatment of her (Gen. 16). And He is still the God who sees you and me today.
Need more convincing?
- “The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of mankind; from His dwelling place He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth” (Psalm 33:13-15 NASB).
- “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3 NASB).
- “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:3-4 NASB).
Knowing God sees us—He sees everything—I’m reminded once again of how limited my own vision is. I’ll never see all there is to know about the other people in my relationships. But God does. This reminds me to add more humility to my conclusions and actions. Knowing that in this life, there will always be gaps in what I see, my prayer has become, “Lord, help me see other people with your perspective.”
In the meantime, it’s helpful to remember that, in a world where we are exhorted to stand out from the crowd and make a name for ourselves, God sees those who belong to Him, obedient in what He’s called us to do, large or small.
That includes me . . . and you.
This is 11th in a series of blog posts inspired by The Chosen, a multi-season series about the life of Jesus and His followers. Each post highlights a quote sourced from Season 1. Previous posts include:
- Chosen Reflections: I Have Called You By Name
- Chosen Reflections: The Difference
- Chosen Reflections: Provision
- Chosen Reflections: Purpose
- Chosen Reflections: Fishers of Men
- Chosen Reflections: Do Whatever He Tells You
- Chosen Reflections: Follow the Leader
- Chosen Reflections: Are You a Student?
- Chosen Reflections: Get Used to Different
- Chosen Reflections: Showing Up in Unexpected Places
I am thankful God sees us. My vision has changed over the years. I now wear reading glasses and computer glasses.
Your article also reminded me of Hagar’s story in Genesis 16. So glad God sees me in the wilderness, in whatever is going on in my life and the world, and whether or not anyone else sees me…He does!
It’s so amazing to ponder that He sees each of us well and clearly, intimately, deeply. Great message here.
What a blessing to know God sees me clearly. He knows me more than I know myself. It can be hard when I know He is watching and I am not doing the right thing. Thanks for sharing Ava.
Ava, this is a beautiful truth in need of constant revisiting, for we so easily can feel all alone, neglected, or invisible. And yet, this is not true, for God sees us. This is personal! He knows our inward thoughts. He made us each in our mother’s womb. We are never forgotten. We are never overlooked. Like Eden, he sees us. As a person with a chronic illness that keeps me largely isolated from activities that prove to be too exhausting or too much for my health to handle, I am usually in my home, writing and studying the Word. The reminder that God sees me is always welcome, always a blessing. Thank you for sharing this reality exhibited so well by that scene in The Chosen. I love this series.