Loved Beyond the Labels: How God Sees You Differently. – Genesis 16:13

Faith Casey
Jul 23
2 min read

Devotional Thought:

Hagar’s story is one of pain, rejection, and feeling like she didn’t matter. She was a slave to a woman named Sarai—a socially important woman with a well-established household. As part of Sarai’s property, Hagar didn’t have the freedom to make choices for herself.

Sarai and her husband were so old that she laughed at the thought of ever being able to get pregnant. Hagar, on the other hand, was young. That’s when Sarai came up with a plan: she would have Hagar sleep with her husband in order to have a child that Sarai could raise as her own.

It may have been presented to Hagar as an opportunity—maybe even a chance to rise in status, be part of the family and gain fortune. In that culture, having a child with a man like that could have meant security, respect, maybe even a future. But in the end, Hagar didn’t gain a position or the belonging she desired. She was used for what she could give and then discarded.

She was manipulated into a situation she didn’t choose, used by the people in power, and then cast aside when she was no longer needed or convenient. She had nowhere to go and felt completely helpless and worthless.

Alone in the wilderness, afraid and unsure of what would happen next, she encountered God in a way she never expected.

In that moment, God didn’t come to her with judgment or demands—He came with love and reassurance. He called her by her name and made it clear that she was seen. Overwhelmed by this, Hagar gave God a new name: "You are the God who sees me."

Maybe you’ve felt like Hagar—used, overlooked, discarded, or treated like you’re only valuable for what you do, not who you are. But God doesn’t see you that way. He sees your heart, your struggles, your dreams, and the real you beyond your circumstances. No one else may fully understand what you’ve been through, but God does, and He cares deeply.