Imagine this: you call your children into the house for dinner. They continue playing in the yard like they didn’t hear you calling. You continue calling them and let out a sigh. A few moments later, your husband pulls up to the house, and the children run toward him, fighting for attention.
At that moment, you feel invisible, like no one cares that you cleaned the dishes, the house or paired what felt like millions of socks. Unexpectedly being a mom isn’t what you thought it would be. However, at that moment, you hear God whisper to your spirit, “I see you,” and your mind is blown. You would think that God has better things to do than talk to a mother about her matching socks? Do you ever find yourself feeling that way, questioning whether or not God sees you and everything you do?
Does God see everything?
God has numerous names. He’s Yahweh, Elohim, Father, and El Roi, The God Who Sees Me. That’s right; we weren’t the first ones to question if God could see us. In biblical times, God revealed himself to a young slave girl named Hagar, the servant of a barren woman named Sarah. The story says that Sarah couldn’t get pregnant on her own. In those times, it was common for a wife to give a servant to her husband to produce an heir if the wife was barren. Though the child was biologically the servant’s, it would be raised by the wife, like Sarah.
Still, God wanted us to have monogamous relationships, so Sarah eventually grew resentful and jealous of Hagar, so she mistreated her. Her jealousy doesn’t excuse her actions. Later in the story, Hagar gets tired of Sarah’s abuse and runs off into the desert. Still, God saw her. He knew her thoughts, pain, and actions. God cares about everything, even the little things, because everything is small in comparison to God. Luke 12:7 reminds us that God knows how many hairs are on our heads, and we shouldn’t be afraid because we’re worth more than many sparrows.
Genesis 16:13 tells us the rest of Hagar’s story. The Lord sent an angel to encourage her, and her response was, “you are the God who sees me.” She also asked if she had indeed seen the one who saw her. If God cared enough about a slave girl and her suffering, why wouldn’t He see everything about you? We see God is interested in every detail of our lives throughout the Bible. He cares about everything in our lives because we are His creations made in His image.
What does the Bible say about Him seeing everything?
God is omnipresent, which means that He’s present everywhere. The term omnipresent isn’t in the Bible, but it was coined in Latin in the 1600s. Because God is everywhere at once, He sees everything, and we’re never alone. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus promised that He would always be with us. This sentiment is further proven in Romans 8:9, which says the Holy Spirit, which is part of God, lives within us.
So what does this mean for us? It means that God knows the secrets you never shared, He sees everything you’ve done in secret, He knows where you left your phone, He knows how many hairs you have on your head, and He knows the hidden dreams, hopes, and scars that you carry. This idea also means that God has perfect knowledge which extends to the past, present, and future. This is because God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, as described in Revelation 21:6.
How should we react to God seeing everything?
Doesn’t it make you feel joyful and comfortable knowing that God hears, sees, and knows everything about your life and the world’s future? Doesn’t it make you feel good knowing nothing is hidden from Him? Our God isn’t blind to the evil or suffering in this world. He’s there in it with us, comforting those who need it, and is ready to hold everyone accountable for their sins when the time comes.
Romans 14:11-12 reminds us that as God lives, every knee will bow before Him, and every tongue will confess to Him. Then, each of us will have to give an account of ourselves to God. This sentiment means that we should feel humbled that God cares so much about the minor details of our lives, and we should try to live in obedience to Him. We should hold our thought captive and make them subservient to Christ. We should also understand that our actions and words should reflect the love of Christ.
When you need it, take comfort in Psalm 139:17-18, which reads, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them? Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I am awake, I am still with you.” The fact that God sees everything can be terrifying if you’re worried about what God thinks of your thoughts, actions, and words. It’s scary to know that God sees everything in our lives, and we should keep that in mind.
We should regularly think about our decisions and motives and do our best to follow God’s guidance on how to live a faithful life. However, the Bible reassures us that if we have a relationship with Jesus, we don’t have to worry when we fall short of what He wants for us. Yes, God sees everything, and there’s no way to keep secrets from Him, but we don’t need to. God gives us grace and loves us unconditionally because of Jesus’ sacrifice. Hebrews 4:16 reminds us to approach God’s throne confidently so we can find grace and receive mercy when needed.
Knowing that God sees everything can inspire us when we feel confident in God’s love for us. Our loving Father sees us anywhere and anytime. He sees everything going on in our lives and watches over us with complete care. Nobody can fool God. We can count on God to pay full attention to everything that concerns us with love.
