Where Is God When I Suffer Injustice?
The Story of Hagar and the God Who Sees You
Genesis 16:1-16
There are moments in life when we think: “This isn’t fair.”
You work hard, try to do the right thing… and things still go wrong.
You get treated badly at work. You feel ignored. No one seems to understand your pain.
Then the big question shows up:
Where is God when I suffer injustice?
The Bible answers this question through a powerful story: the story of Hagar (Genesis 16).
When life feels unfair
Let’s be honest: 2025 was a hard year for many people.
Many felt tired, lonely, or worried.
Sometimes we think:
No one knows what I’m going through.
No one sees my effort.
No one understands my pain.
But Hagar’s story reminds us of something important:
God does see it.
Gen 16:1-6 Hagar’s story (in simple words)
Hagar was a woman almost nobody noticed.
She was:
A servant
A foreigner
Without family
Without rights
And to make things worse… she ended up in the middle of a big family conflict between Abraham and Sarah.
Sarah decided Hagar should have a child with Abraham.
After Hagar became pregnant, Sarah got angry with her.
Yes… it sounds like a biblical soap opera 😅.
Sarah began treating her badly, and Hagar did the only thing she could: she ran away into the desert.
Imagine this:
Alone
Pregnant
No money
No direction
Basically, the worst moment of her life.
And here comes the big question again:
Where was God?
Gen 16:9-12 God shows up when no one else does
The Bible says something amazing:
God went looking for Hagar in the desert.
Hagar didn’t find God…
God found Hagar.
This is huge.
God doesn’t only care about famous people in the Bible like Abraham.
He also cares about people who feel forgotten, tired, and hurt.
God spoke to her with love and gave her direction.
He reminded her that she was not alone.
It’s like when you lose your phone at home and panic…
then realize it’s in your hand. 🙃
It was never lost—you just didn’t notice.
Sometimes we feel lost.
But God always knows where we are.
Gen 16:13-16 The name that changes everything: El Roi
After this encounter, Hagar said something beautiful:
“You are the God who sees me.”
(Genesis 16:13)
In Hebrew, she called Him El Roi, which means:
👉 The God who sees me.
Not the God who ignores.
Not the God who judges first.
Not the God who forgets.
The God who sees.
He sees:
Your tears
Your exhaustion
Your effort
Your faith
Even the tears no one else knows about.
Luke 2:8-11 God still sees the humble today
The Bible repeats this message many times.
For example, when Jesus was born, who did God appear to first?
Shepherds.
They weren’t rich.
They weren’t famous.
They weren’t powerful.
But they were important to God.
This teaches us something clear:
God always sees the humble.
Maybe the world doesn’t see you.
Maybe your boss doesn’t notice you.
Maybe people don’t recognize your effort.
But God does.
And that changes everything.
How your life changes when you know God sees you
When you understand that God sees you:
👉 You no longer feel invisible.
👉 You no longer feel forgotten.
👉 You no longer walk alone.
Jesus said He gives us streams of living water, not wells of despair (John 7:38).
That means even suffering can bring you closer to God.
Your pain does not take away your value.
God can use it to draw you nearer to Him.
So… where is God when you suffer injustice?
The answer is simple and powerful:
He is with you.
In the desert.
In the exhaustion.
In the confusion.
In the tears.
You are not alone.
You are not forgotten.
You are not invisible.
The God who saw Hagar…
sees you too.
And He will always be El Roi — the Living God who sees you — today and forever.
