To say that Hagar is not a biblical hero is something of an understatement.
We easily preach sermons on Abraham, Moses, Ruth, and even Jacob.
But Hagar? Not so much.
She’s a maidservant for goodness sakes. She’s “the other woman” — in a sense used by Abraham for procreation purposes when it appeared Sarah was barren. And Ishmael, her son by Abraham, does not carry the covenant in the way his half-brother Isaac does.
Yet in spite of her inherent disadvantages, Hagar utters one of Scripture’s most beautiful sentences in the aftermath of Ishmael’s birth:
“You are the God who sees me, [for] I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Genesis 16:13)
The God who sees me.
It’s still true.
When you feel invisible in the midst of your family of origin, you have a God who sees you.
When you feel invisible because of a lack of tangible professional success, you have a God who sees you.
When you feel invisible because your marriage or your romance hasn’t worked out, you have a God who sees you.
And yes, when you feel invisible because you are travelling on business and with that anonymity act in ways contrary to your deepest beliefs, you have a God who sees you.
When you feel invisible because grief overwhelms you, you have a God who sees you.
When you feel invisible because it seems as though you are an outcast in your family, on your job, or even in this country, you have a God who sees you.
God saw Hagar when few others did.
And he sees you as well.