“But You, O LORD, know me; You see me, and test my heart toward You.”
Jeremiah 12:3
While growing up, I was frequently reminded that God sees and knows everything. There is no place to run. There is no place to hide from a God Who sees and knows all. The context of my receiving this information was almost always after I was caught doing something that I had been told not to do.
I quickly came to believe this was true. There was no other way that my momma knew everything that I did wrong or so often caught me in the act if she wasn’t getting inside information from God.
It got to the point that whenever I disobeyed or did something wrong I would preemptively confess, throw myself on the mercy of the court, and hope that my tears would move the judge (momma) to leniency.
Thankfully, Momma also told me about God’s love for me so that, to some degree, my fear of always being seen was lessened.
There were times in my younger adult life when I tried to forget that God saw and knew everything going on in my life. But I knew that He knew. And, eventually, the Holy Spirit used that awareness and other life events to draw me back into a right and restored relationship with my Heavenly Father.
Over the years, I have come to greatly appreciate and cherish the knowledge that God always sees and knows me and my situation. Rather than the fear that I had as a child, I find great joy and comfort in knowing that there is no time when God’s eyes are not on me and His thoughts don’t include me. Or said another way,
I take great joy and comfort in knowing that God sees me at all times,
And He is thinking of me always.
It reminds me of Hagar’s story in Genesis Chapter 16. Pregnant Hagar ran away from her master’s (Abram) house because of her mistress’ (Sarai) mistreatment. Hagar felt used, abused, forgotten, and alone. In her despair, God told her that He saw her situation. He saw her distress and He heard her pain. God promised to watch over her and the baby she was carrying. Hagar’s response was beautiful.
“You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
Genesis 16:13 NIV
God told Hagar to return to her master’s household. He didn’t tell Hagar everything would be wonderful and easy sailing from then on out. But Hagar knew that God saw her and her situation. That awareness gave her the consolation and the confidence she needed to return to her home.
In 1 Samuel Chapters 1-2, the story of Hannah is the story of a woman whose inability to bear children caused her anguish of spirit and great despair. Deeply distressed, Hannah begged God to hear her prayer and give her a son. God heard Hannah’s prayer and gave her a son, Samuel, who became a priest, judge, spiritual leader, counselor, and crowner of kings in Israel.
In her prayer of thanksgiving and praise, Hannah says,
There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God. … the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him, deeds are weighed.
1 Samuel 2:2-3 NIV
One other story comes to mind when I think of God’s mindfulness regarding His people. In Exodus Chapter Two, the people of Israel had been in Egypt for over 400 years. Joseph is long dead, as is the Pharaoh who welcomed Joseph’s family to Egypt during seven years of worldwide famine. The seventy-member family of Israel (Jacob) had become a nation of well over a million.
Because of Israel’s explosive growth, the Pharaoh of Egypt feared that the Israelites might rise and revolt against Egypt or align with Egypt’s enemies. To prevent a revolution, the Israelites were forced into slavery. It was a time of persecution and great hardship for the Israelites. The people groaned and cried out to God for help. Exodus 2:25 says that God saw His people and He knew their situation.
God saw the people of Israel–and God knew.
Exodus 2:25 ESV
Soon after that Moses encountered God in a burning bush and received his call from God to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt to God’s Land of Promise. (Genesis 3)
When we are in the middle of a bad situation, a relationship gone wrong, a false accusation, a serious medical diagnosis, justice is withheld, or personal tragedy has struck, we may forget that God’s clear gaze is still upon us. We worry that God might have forgotten about us and that He doesn’t realize how dire our situation has become.
God spoke these words originally to Israel, but His promise and encouragement apply to us today:
Remember these things… for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; … you will not be forgotten by me. I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.
Isaiah 44:21-22 ESV
God has never forgotten His children. He will never forget His children. And if you are His child, He will never not see you, never not hear you, and He will never, ever forget you.
You are seen.
You are heard.
You are known.
The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows….
Joshua 22:22