“So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, ‘You are the God who sees‘, for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen Him who looks after me.'” – Genesis 16:13
“Then the LORD said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry…” – Exodus 3:7
“My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret…your eyes saw my unformed substance…” – Psalm 139:15, 16
“For the eyes of the LORD look to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is wholly His.” – 2 Chronicles 16:9
“When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple…He said, ‘Woman, behold, your son…Behold, your mother!'” – John 19:26, 27
The Scripture tells us from cover to cover that we have a God…a Creator who constantly watches over us. It was Hagar, the maid servant of Sarah, who first called God the “One Who Sees”. She had been banished to the desert with her young son Ishmael and they had run out of water. She felt that they were all alone…no one cared or knew where they were. It looked like the end for them, but…God was watching. He knew where they were. He was looking at them and He was looking out for them.
Again, when God came to Moses in Exodus to explain His plan to deliver his people from the oppression of the Egyptians, He said that He had “seen” the injustice…God was watching…noticing…caring.
The Psalmist says that God even watches over each of us as we are being created…before we knew He was looking at us He had His eye on us. In Chronicles the prophet Hanani reminds King Asa that God is always looking for those whose hearts are His.
Therefore, we should not be too surprised that Jesus (God in the flesh), while experiencing extreme suffering, would be looking at the people. After all, He was there on the cross for them…for us. We were the reason that He was dying. It was His love for us that He was demonstrating (Romans 5:8). So, Jesus watched the crowd. He saw the strangers hurrying by. He saw the unbelief in the eyes of the mockers. He saw the faces of the angry Priests. He saw the soldiers below Him gambling for His clothes. And, in the midst of all the crowded chaos of the moment, He saw His best friend, John and…His mother.
Believer, we have a God who watches over us. He is the God who “sees”. We don’t have to jump up and down to get His attention. We are not just a face in this crowded and chaotic world. He knows you. He recognizes you. We don’t have to introduce ourselves to Him…He has seen you from before you were born. The truth is…when you look to God you will always find that He is already looking at you.
Today, turn to the cross and look into the loving face of Jesus. He is looking at you. As your eyes meet you will realize that He knows you, loves you, and cares for you. Look to Him and listen as He speaks to you today.