Does God Really See Me?

How alone do you feel right now? Isolated completely? Perhaps isolated in a crowd? Do you wonder if anyone really even notices you are in the crowd?

I tend to enjoy alone time at this stage of life. This desire to pull away from people and “cocoon” began when my work/ministry life began to become so fast paced and began to involve lots of people…groups small and large.

My cocoon time became a cherished respite to be quiet and to recharge for the next busy rush of life. But too much isolation would bring great loneliness and unhealthy living.

Then there are times we are in the middle of a group and wondering if anyone sees us. Some of this may just be in our minds. When those times come, we must focus on the fact the Christ sees us, He knows where we are, He knows our need to be noticed, and He is able to fill us in a way no person and no thing can.

I recently studied the story of Leah and Rachel again in Genesis 29-30 as I’ve been going through Jen Wilkin’s God of Covenant.

I’ve even taught about these women and their lack of contentment in their situations. (You can read that 4 part series starting here. Other posts in this series are linked at bottom of part 1.) One sister was loved but childless, one was unloved with children. Neither were satisfied in their relationship with Jacob. One who knew her husband was tricked into marrying her. One saw her husband have his first children by her sister instead of her.

This time when I read the story of Leah, I saw her in a different light. I saw her as blessed in the midst of her pain of being unloved. Jen brought out something I’ve not ever really connected before. Leah’s fourth son became the head of the tribe of Judah…one day giving us the Lion of Judah. (She also gave birth to Levi, the priestly line.)

How beautiful is that? I saw how much God was aware of her situation and her pain. Her loneliness. Her feeling unloved. And how in the midst, she and Jacob’s 4th son was Judah. Judah had sons who had sons who had sons….all in the tribe of Judah. And many generations later we see Jesus, the Lion of Judah come along in this tribe, from Leah and Jacob. Not Rachel and Jacob. What if Leah had known?

God was aware of exactly where Leah was and what she was experiencing. He is just as aware of you and me…of our feelings of being alone, unloved, rejected or experiencing loss. And He will bless us as we follow obediently and trust His purpose in the midst of our journey.

You are NOT alone, not ever, not anywhere. If you believe that, then you do not know Jesus. When you know Jesus, you are never alone because the Holy Spirit indwells you.

• 1 Corinthians 3:16-Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
• 2 Corinthians 6:16-And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.
• 2 Timothy 1:14-Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
• Romans 8:11-And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.

You may go through times you are alone, away from other people physically, or emotionally, but you are never without the presence of Christ to bring meaning to your life. He is faithful. Will you trust Him?

Banner photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash