Psalm 31:7 offers a powerful reminder that God sees our struggles, understands our pain, and cares deeply for our souls. In this devotional, Lauren Fletcher explores the comforting truth that God is not distant from our suffering. Through the stories of Leah and Hagar, Scripture reveals a compassionate God who notices those who feel overlooked, unloved, forgotten, or alone. Even when we cannot find the words to pray, God remains attentive to our circumstances and actively works on our behalf.

Highlights
God sees our struggles, even when no one else notices.
Leah's story demonstrates God's compassion toward the overlooked and unloved.
Hagar's encounter with God reveals Him as El Roi, "the God who sees me."
God's care is not dependent on us having the perfect words to pray.
Scripture consistently shows God moving on behalf of those who are hurting.
The Lord meets people in seasons of loneliness, rejection, and distress.
God's awareness of our pain is evidence of His deep love for us.
Believers can trust that they are never forgotten or abandoned by God.

Join the Conversation

Have you experienced a time when God reminded you that He saw your pain, needs, or circumstances? How does knowing that God is El Roi—the God who sees you—change the way you approach difficult seasons?

Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/

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Full Transcript Below:

He Sees Us

By Lauren Fletcher

Bible Reading:

“I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.” - Psalm 31:7

This month, my church has been participating in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. As I was praying one morning, I came across a sweet passage of scripture. In the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel, God meets Leah in a very personal way. Though she was the first wife of Jacob, Rachel was the one he wanted and worked for.

Genesis 29 says, “When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, ‘The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me’” (Genesis 29:31-32).

It touched my heart that the LORD saw Leah’s circumstances and moved. She did not pray and ask, she did not cry out for God’s help. He just saw what she was going through and acted. How amazing that God sees what’s going on with us and will act on our behalf, even when we do not ask. Have you ever had a circumstance like this in your life, where God has moved, even before you were able to ask?

The story continues, “She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, ‘The LORD heard that I was unloved and has given me another son’” (Genesis 29:33). I love how Leah recognizes God has seen and heard her situation. She acknowledges Him in this.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

There’s another important passage in the scriptures where we learn that God sees us. A beloved name of God is El Roi. This name is given to Him by Sarai's (Sarah’s) servant, Hagar, in Genesis 16, in the wilderness (Genesis 16:7).

The LORD had told Abram that he would have descendants, that he would have a son. Abram trusted the LORD in this (Genesis 15:4-6). “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, ‘The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.’ And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal” (Genesis 16:1-2).

After Hagar became pregnant, she did not treat Sarai well (Genesis 16:4). The scripture says, “Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away. The angel of the LORD found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur” (Genesis 16:6b-7).

Hagar was met in her distress, in her place of difficulty. She was seen.

“Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.’ She also said, ‘Have I truly seen the One who sees me?’” (Genesis 16:13). Hagar was not forgotten. She was sought out by the Lord.

Something we can take away from these scriptures, these stories of how God worked in these women’s lives, is that if He sees them, He sees us. He will work on our behalf when we ask, but also when we don’t. He sees, and He works on our behalf because He loves us.

It is this same love that caused the LORD, who saw the troubles of the Israelites in Egypt, to be moved to deliver them (Exodus 3-4). Exodus 4:31 says, “Then the people of Israel were convinced that the LORD had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.” Doesn’t this just touch your heart? How wonderful and loving the Lord is.

He knows what’s going on with you. He sees, and He cares. He will help you, because He loves you. Even if you haven’t been able to ask, don’t worry. He sees us.

Further Reading:

Psalm 56:8

Genesis 29

Exodus 3-4

Genesis 16

Psalm 31:7 offers a powerful reminder that God sees our struggles, understands our pain, and cares deeply for our souls. In this devotional, Lauren Fletcher explores the comforting truth that God is not distant from our suffering. Through the stories of Leah and Hagar, Scripture reveals a compassionate God who notices those who feel overlooked, unloved, forgotten, or alone. Even when we cannot find the words to pray, God remains attentive to our circumstances and actively works on our behalf.
Highlights
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>God sees our struggles, even when no one else notices.</li>
<li>Leah's story demonstrates God's compassion toward the overlooked and unloved.</li>
<li>Hagar's encounter with God reveals Him as El Roi, "the God who sees me."</li>
<li>God's care is not dependent on us having the perfect words to pray.</li>
<li>Scripture consistently shows God moving on behalf of those who are hurting.</li>
<li>The Lord meets people in seasons of loneliness, rejection, and distress.</li>
<li>God's awareness of our pain is evidence of His deep love for us.</li>
<li>Believers can trust that they are never forgotten or abandoned by God.</li>
</ul>
Join the Conversation
Have you experienced a time when God reminded you that He saw your pain, needs, or circumstances? How does knowing that God is El Roi&mdash;the God who sees you&mdash;change the way you approach difficult seasons?
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: <a href="https://forums.crosswalk.com/">https://forums.crosswalk.com/</a>
Do you want to listen ad-free?
When you join&nbsp;Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors&mdash;resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/subscribe/?utm_source=subscribe_page&amp;utm_medium=YDBV&amp;utm_campaign=YDBV_PLUS">Sign Up Today!</a>
<hr>
Full Transcript Below:
He Sees Us
By Lauren Fletcher
Bible Reading:
&ldquo;I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.&rdquo; - Psalm 31:7
This month, my church has been participating in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. As I was praying one morning, I came across a sweet passage of scripture. In the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel, God meets Leah in a very personal way. Though she was the first wife of Jacob, Rachel was the one he wanted and worked for.
Genesis 29 says, &ldquo;When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, &lsquo;The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me&rsquo;&rdquo; (Genesis 29:31-32).
It touched my heart that the LORD saw Leah&rsquo;s circumstances and moved. She did not pray and ask, she did not cry out for God&rsquo;s help. He just saw what she was going through and acted. How amazing that God sees what&rsquo;s going on with us and will act on our behalf, even when we do not ask. Have you ever had a circumstance like this in your life, where God has moved, even before you were able to ask?
The story continues, &ldquo;She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, &lsquo;The LORD heard that I was unloved and has given me another son&rsquo;&rdquo; (Genesis 29:33). I love how Leah recognizes God has seen and heard her situation. She acknowledges Him in this.
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
There&rsquo;s another important passage in the scriptures where we learn that God sees us. A beloved name of God is El Roi. This name is given to Him by Sarai's (Sarah&rsquo;s) servant, Hagar, in Genesis 16, in the wilderness (Genesis 16:7).
The LORD had told Abram that he would have descendants, that he would have a son. Abram trusted the LORD in this (Genesis 15:4-6). &ldquo;Now Sarai, Abram&rsquo;s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, &lsquo;The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.&rsquo; And Abram agreed with Sarai&rsquo;s proposal&rdquo; (Genesis 16:1-2).
After Hagar became pregnant, she did not treat Sarai well (Genesis 16:4). The scripture says, &ldquo;Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away. The angel of the LORD found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur&rdquo; (Genesis 16:6b-7).
Hagar was met in her distress, in her place of difficulty. She was seen.
&ldquo;Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, &lsquo;You are the God who sees me.&rsquo; She also said, &lsquo;Have I truly seen the One who sees me?&rsquo;&rdquo; (Genesis 16:13). Hagar was not forgotten. She was sought out by the Lord.
Something we can take away from these scriptures, these stories of how God worked in these women&rsquo;s lives, is that if He sees them, He sees us. He will work on our behalf when we ask, but also when we don&rsquo;t. He sees, and He works on our behalf because He loves us.
It is this same love that caused the LORD, who saw the troubles of the Israelites in Egypt, to be moved to deliver them (Exodus 3-4). Exodus 4:31 says, &ldquo;Then the people of Israel were convinced that the LORD had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.&rdquo; Doesn&rsquo;t this just touch your heart? How wonderful and loving the Lord is.
He knows what&rsquo;s going on with you. He sees, and He cares. He will help you, because He loves you. Even if you haven&rsquo;t been able to ask, don&rsquo;t worry. He sees us.
Further Reading:
Psalm 56:8
Genesis 29
Exodus 3-4
Genesis 16

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.

Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:

☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It)
☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment
☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life
☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life
☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church
☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer
☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation
☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year

If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.
Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:
☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It) ☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment ☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life ☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life ☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church ☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer ☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation ☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year
If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/">https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.</a>

7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life.

The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

The Crosswalk Devotional

He Sees Us

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/b94664d8-9f16-4316-a38a-b45e01344681/transcript