El Roi: God Sees and Understands You

My husband and I began our missionary career in Nepal in the 80s. After five months of informal language study in Kathmandu, we moved to a small village located twelve hours’ drive from the city. We rented a little house made of mud and rock with a grass-thatch roof. We had no electricity, indoor plumbing, or running water apart from the nearby irrigation ditch that doubled as the locals’ laundromat. Our nearest neighbor was a Hindu priest, and the next nearest was a witchdoctor.

Nothing could have prepared me for the culture shock and loneliness I experienced in that place. I knew without a doubt that God had called us to Nepal, and I longed to honor Him with my obedience. At the same time, I wanted to run away and return to family and all things familiar. 

My story of discovering God as El Roi

One evening, at the end of a particularly difficult day, my husband switched on our shortwave radio. To our amazement, the harmony of a male quartet singing “Great is Thy Faithfulness” filled the room. Imagine! We lived in the village for two years, and that was the only English program we heard during that time. The lyrics of my favorite hymn wrapped me in a heavenly hug and assured me that everything was going to be okay.

I had no physical address, no email, and no phone number, but God saw me in my weary and discouraged state, and He met me there. My hard place became the space where I experienced His presence, power, and peace, much like happened to Hagar. (Genesis 16)

Hagar experiences God as El Roi

Hagar was an Egyptian teen who worked in Abram and Sarai’s household. As Sarai’s servant, Hagar had lost everything familiar—her home and family, her culture, and her language. She’d even lost her identity. Pregnant and abused, she fled into the wilderness. That’s where God found Hagar and called her by name.

As a result of that encounter, Hagar gave God the name El Roi which means, “the God who sees me.”The word “sees” suggests that God “gets” us. He knows our circumstances, understands our emotions, and He cares.

“Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me [El Roi].’” (Genesis 16:13 NLT)

One Bible teacher says, “It’s not just about physical sight; it’s about understanding, caring, and providing. Picture this: God as the caring shepherd, watching over His flock. He’s not just counting sheep; He’s making sure they’re safe and sound.”

My friend, sooner or later, we all land in a lonely and difficult place. At times, we feel weary and discouraged. We might even feel tempted to give up or run away. But know this: El Roi sees, understands, and cares for us. We can pour out our hearts to Him. Let’s hang onto hope and stand firm. Let’s persevere in His strength, and our hard place will become a space where we experience God’s presence, power, and peace in a new and profound way.