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The God Who Sees You: Look to Him When You Feel Discouraged, Forgotten, or Invisible
Tammy speaks and writes with a kind of transparency, directness, and personal honesty that many have called "edgy" and she addresses many cutting-edge issues, but her style is more to put a modern spin on classic messages of grace, comfort and challenge. She invites women to understand exactly what God sees in them and loves them, but is active and present in every moment of their lives. This book offers a refreshing change of perspective to anyone who feels invisible unnoticed, or unappreciated--a reassurance that their lives really matter.
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2012
88 people are currently reading
472 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 3, 2012
This author is very direct and I especially liked how her personality came out in her writing. If you are feeling lonely or lost in the crowd this book is perfect. Our relationship with Christ should be our most important one and understanding how much Christ loves us can change our whole perspective on life.
I thought the book was very encouraging and will really help you in your thinking. You will realize that mattering to Christ is what matters, not how many names you have listed under “friends.” Understanding that Christ loves you and no person can care for you as much as Him, is one of the major lessons in the book. There was not a page in the book that I did not find something to think about or learn from.
I found the book to be entertaining without haughtiness. I liked everything about the book and think it is perfect for every woman to read, especially those going through a difficult time or feeling discouraged.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.
I thought the book was very encouraging and will really help you in your thinking. You will realize that mattering to Christ is what matters, not how many names you have listed under “friends.” Understanding that Christ loves you and no person can care for you as much as Him, is one of the major lessons in the book. There was not a page in the book that I did not find something to think about or learn from.
I found the book to be entertaining without haughtiness. I liked everything about the book and think it is perfect for every woman to read, especially those going through a difficult time or feeling discouraged.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.
May 27, 2013
God brought this book along just in the time and season of my life I really needed the encouragement and reminder that He sees ME, He knows ME, and He truly does love ME. :) This was a bless-your-socks-off read I'm sure I'll be recommending to every young woman I meet and will be rereading often.
"I am seen by God. May those words keep taking your breath away" - Angela Thomas, best-selling author and speaker
"I am seen by God. May those words keep taking your breath away" - Angela Thomas, best-selling author and speaker
September 6, 2012
Every once in awhile we all need to be reminded that God sees us, He loves us and He has a plan for us. This is a comforting and reassuring message. In this book there’s Scripture but also very personal experiences of the author. The God Who Sees You is beautifully written, I made a lot of notes which I’ll be sharing especially with my youth group. The young girls in the group I lead are at an age in which they sometimes feel like they have to act a certain way to be noticed. I want them to know that God sees them and notices them. With that said, I don’t think this book is exclusively for women, which is indicated by the book’s description. I know I’ve just referred to my girls but this message is in my opinion also for men and boys. This book is for everyone who really wants to see the God who sees you.
In this book the Father’s love letter is included. It’s a collection of Scripture paraphrases, collected in the form of a love letter, that sum up God’s heart toward each of us. This is a beautiful letter and it gives me inspiration to make something similar for my youth group.
At the end of the book there are questions for thought and sharing which is wonderful if you read this book as part of a study group or for personal growth.
Note: I received a free copy via NetGalley
In this book the Father’s love letter is included. It’s a collection of Scripture paraphrases, collected in the form of a love letter, that sum up God’s heart toward each of us. This is a beautiful letter and it gives me inspiration to make something similar for my youth group.
At the end of the book there are questions for thought and sharing which is wonderful if you read this book as part of a study group or for personal growth.
Note: I received a free copy via NetGalley
June 21, 2012
First of all, I’d like to say that I wish the description above didn’t single out that the author is speaking to women, because honestly, I didn’t get that vibe while I was reading this one. I really feel like this book can be equally addressed to both men and women, and nothing in there speaks specifically to women only. It’s almost downright odd that the description singles out women. Oh well.
The God Who Sees You was definitely a thought-provoking, soul-searching book that I wasn’t expecting. And while I do take issue with the fact that she quotes The Message* “translation” (as my dad said, “if you can even call it a translation”), the content itself was really good. The only other issue I had worth mentioning was at one point Tammy Maltby was discussing the first sin in the garden with Adam and Eve and she makes the comment that she believes as soon as Adam confessed the sin and came out of hiding that God began devising a plan on how to redeem Adam and Eve back to Himself. I don’t agree with this because God is All-Knowing and transcends time and space. He knew Adam and Eve would sin before He created the world. And I believe He had the plan of redemption (Jesus’ death on the cross as payment for our sins) planned before He spoke our world into existence. As my dad says, “Nothing ever occurred to God.”
Now that I’ve gotten the negative out of the way, let’s move on to happy things. Knowing God sees you can be a comforting though. When you feel like no one else sees you, or no one else knows the “real” you, God does. And not only does He see you, but He cares about you, me, enough to know the number of hairs on your head. And He doesn’t stop there either, He’s active in your lives. But, knowing God sees you can also be a fearful and humbling experience when you’re not living your life the way He’s called you to live it. After all, it is a scary thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31), but you don’t have to worry about falling if you’re already there (John 10:29). Whether God seeing you is a scary or comforting thought all depends on your attitude, your heart, and the way you live your life.
Throughout this book, Tammy Maltby discusses the reasons why we hide, the difference between reverence and fear, the concept of being God-blind, and obviously what it means to be seen by God. Tammy Maltby pulls the idea of being seen by God from the story of Hagar in the Old Testament. I love how some people are capable of drawing out these massive ideas and concept that God created and placed within single phrases that some of us pass over without a second thought. I wasn’t far into the reading of this book before I got chills—you know the ones that tell you what you’re experiencing is special. What’s more special than realizing and focusing on the fact that God, the Almighty Creator of the universe, sees me?
One of my favorite parts is this “love letter” from God, my Father, that she created from phrases all throughout Scripture and organized in this beautiful way that lets me know my Father sees me. And while I loved that, and will keep that close to my heart, the entire Bible**, the entire story God has written and is continuing to write, is a love letter from Him to you. It’s His plan and His working to redeem you back to Himself. His purpose and His creation to have an intimate relationship with you. So in case you’re ever wondering, God sees you. (4 Stars)
*The Message is a paraphrase “translation.” There are basically two types of Bible translations. Direct translations, such as New King James Version, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, where the original Greek or Hebrew text is translated word for word, and paraphrase translations, such as The Message and The Living Bible, where the text is paraphrased or summarized. MessageBible.com says: “if there is anything distinctive about The Message, perhaps it is because the text is shaped by the hand of a working pastor.” This means that a fallible human being took the direct words of God and paraphrased or summarized them. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not have a human being muddling the Word of God. My God is all-knowing and all-powerful, so much so that He said exactly the words He wanted used, and He does not need man to summarize for Him. But let me not stop there. Let me show you an example:
Psalm 18:20 & 24
The Message (paraphrase) – God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. … God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.
NIV (direct) – The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. … The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
NKJV (direct) – The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. …Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
NASB (direct) - the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. … Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His eye.
As you can see, The Message version is vastly different from the direct translations, and when all else fails, I trust the direct translation of the Word of God over some man’s summarization. And that’s all I’ll say about that.
**As always, my disclosure anytime I review a book related to a spiritual topic: There’s always a possibility of man misunderstanding God’s Word--self-included. I will always refer you back to the Source, which is the Bible, for the authority on these topics. In this particular case, while I’d recommend this book to others, if you really want to learn about the God Who Sees You, the best place for you to be is in His Word, His book.
The God Who Sees You was definitely a thought-provoking, soul-searching book that I wasn’t expecting. And while I do take issue with the fact that she quotes The Message* “translation” (as my dad said, “if you can even call it a translation”), the content itself was really good. The only other issue I had worth mentioning was at one point Tammy Maltby was discussing the first sin in the garden with Adam and Eve and she makes the comment that she believes as soon as Adam confessed the sin and came out of hiding that God began devising a plan on how to redeem Adam and Eve back to Himself. I don’t agree with this because God is All-Knowing and transcends time and space. He knew Adam and Eve would sin before He created the world. And I believe He had the plan of redemption (Jesus’ death on the cross as payment for our sins) planned before He spoke our world into existence. As my dad says, “Nothing ever occurred to God.”
Now that I’ve gotten the negative out of the way, let’s move on to happy things. Knowing God sees you can be a comforting though. When you feel like no one else sees you, or no one else knows the “real” you, God does. And not only does He see you, but He cares about you, me, enough to know the number of hairs on your head. And He doesn’t stop there either, He’s active in your lives. But, knowing God sees you can also be a fearful and humbling experience when you’re not living your life the way He’s called you to live it. After all, it is a scary thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31), but you don’t have to worry about falling if you’re already there (John 10:29). Whether God seeing you is a scary or comforting thought all depends on your attitude, your heart, and the way you live your life.
Throughout this book, Tammy Maltby discusses the reasons why we hide, the difference between reverence and fear, the concept of being God-blind, and obviously what it means to be seen by God. Tammy Maltby pulls the idea of being seen by God from the story of Hagar in the Old Testament. I love how some people are capable of drawing out these massive ideas and concept that God created and placed within single phrases that some of us pass over without a second thought. I wasn’t far into the reading of this book before I got chills—you know the ones that tell you what you’re experiencing is special. What’s more special than realizing and focusing on the fact that God, the Almighty Creator of the universe, sees me?
One of my favorite parts is this “love letter” from God, my Father, that she created from phrases all throughout Scripture and organized in this beautiful way that lets me know my Father sees me. And while I loved that, and will keep that close to my heart, the entire Bible**, the entire story God has written and is continuing to write, is a love letter from Him to you. It’s His plan and His working to redeem you back to Himself. His purpose and His creation to have an intimate relationship with you. So in case you’re ever wondering, God sees you. (4 Stars)
*The Message is a paraphrase “translation.” There are basically two types of Bible translations. Direct translations, such as New King James Version, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, where the original Greek or Hebrew text is translated word for word, and paraphrase translations, such as The Message and The Living Bible, where the text is paraphrased or summarized. MessageBible.com says: “if there is anything distinctive about The Message, perhaps it is because the text is shaped by the hand of a working pastor.” This means that a fallible human being took the direct words of God and paraphrased or summarized them. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not have a human being muddling the Word of God. My God is all-knowing and all-powerful, so much so that He said exactly the words He wanted used, and He does not need man to summarize for Him. But let me not stop there. Let me show you an example:
Psalm 18:20 & 24
The Message (paraphrase) – God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. … God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.
NIV (direct) – The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. … The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
NKJV (direct) – The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. …Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
NASB (direct) - the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. … Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His eye.
As you can see, The Message version is vastly different from the direct translations, and when all else fails, I trust the direct translation of the Word of God over some man’s summarization. And that’s all I’ll say about that.
**As always, my disclosure anytime I review a book related to a spiritual topic: There’s always a possibility of man misunderstanding God’s Word--self-included. I will always refer you back to the Source, which is the Bible, for the authority on these topics. In this particular case, while I’d recommend this book to others, if you really want to learn about the God Who Sees You, the best place for you to be is in His Word, His book.
May 27, 2012
This book begins with the story of Hagar from Genesis 16 and 21. Hagar was a maidservant in the camp of Abram and Sarai. Sarai is unable to bear a son for Abram, so she compels Hagar to sleep with Abram in the hopes that the servant will produce a son for Sarai to raise. But when Hagar obeys and becomes pregnant, Sarai becomes jealous and abusive. Hagar runs away to the desert.
An angel appears to Hagar bringing a message from a God she barely knows.
The angel says, "The Lord has heard of your misery."
He tells her to return to Abram and Sarai, have her baby, and name him Ishmael.
Ms. Maltby took the title of this book from the following Scripture;
She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her:
"You are the God who sees me,"
for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."
Genesis 16: 13
I have been reading this book right before I go to bed for the past week. The book really opened my eyes and helped me understand that God sees me and cares about me ALL THE TIME. He loves me and he wants to participate in my life.
This book will encourage those who feel like no one notices them, no one cares. I think we all feel like that at times. You will find hope and comfort in the pages of this book.
There is a section of "questions for thought and sharing" at the end of the book. These questions are excellent for individual or group study and meditation. This book is ideal for a women's group study or individual growth and fulfillment.
An angel appears to Hagar bringing a message from a God she barely knows.
The angel says, "The Lord has heard of your misery."
He tells her to return to Abram and Sarai, have her baby, and name him Ishmael.
Ms. Maltby took the title of this book from the following Scripture;
She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her:
"You are the God who sees me,"
for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."
Genesis 16: 13
I have been reading this book right before I go to bed for the past week. The book really opened my eyes and helped me understand that God sees me and cares about me ALL THE TIME. He loves me and he wants to participate in my life.
This book will encourage those who feel like no one notices them, no one cares. I think we all feel like that at times. You will find hope and comfort in the pages of this book.
There is a section of "questions for thought and sharing" at the end of the book. These questions are excellent for individual or group study and meditation. This book is ideal for a women's group study or individual growth and fulfillment.
August 23, 2012
This book came to me at a good time. It was exactly what this mama who stresses over her adult children needed to be reminded of. God sees. He knows. He's got a plan.
A few hours after I finished the book, I was counseling with a woman and actually read some of the passages out loud from the chapter on hiding. She confessed some traumatic events she's carried since childhood, things she's never told her therapist that she's been seeing for fifteen years! I felt it a great step towards full healing for her. I am excited to see how releasing that burden will help her move on in life.
The God Who Sees You delivers what you expect in an easy-to-read, personable way. I would highly recommend it.
A few hours after I finished the book, I was counseling with a woman and actually read some of the passages out loud from the chapter on hiding. She confessed some traumatic events she's carried since childhood, things she's never told her therapist that she's been seeing for fifteen years! I felt it a great step towards full healing for her. I am excited to see how releasing that burden will help her move on in life.
The God Who Sees You delivers what you expect in an easy-to-read, personable way. I would highly recommend it.
September 9, 2015
I can't give a proper review of this, as while it was encouraging, I was not well while reading it and it's a bit of a blur. I might have to come back to it later.
August 13, 2012
This was a book that I could relate to, because I feel invisible quite often. It gave good tips on remember that God loves you and knows you deeper than you can imagine. I also enjoyed the tips for interacting with others and showing them that God sees them. She uses several scriptures from "The Message" Bible. That is not my favorite translation, but it worked in this book.
August 6, 2012
encouraging, insightful -- the subtitle gives the orientation of the book.
Read
September 18, 2012Currently reading this book. I really like it and would recommend it to others!
February 15, 2022
Offers good insight on how we want God to see us in tough times but when we sin we try to hide hoping He don’t see us. Encourages us to show kindness to others we would usually overlook to “see them” and be a reflection of Jesus. Love and not look away. Encourages us to be more transparent with our flaws to let God light shine through us, convicting of some examples she use for people we don’t “see”
January 19, 2022
I'm giving this 3 stars, because some chapters were a 1-2 star, while some were 5 stars. Some great truth treasures in here, but you have to dig a little. Overall glad I read it, but parts were hard to get through for me.
June 3, 2017
Fantastic! I want to buy a copy and read it more slowly.
did-not-finish
May 25, 2020This book just wasn't for me at this point in my life. However, if you are feeling unseen by God and beaten down by life, I would recommend it.
March 13, 2022
Soul Soothing
Your Creator sees you.
He knows your joy and your pain.
He loves you.
He desires to bless you.
Trust Him.
Your Creator sees you.
He knows your joy and your pain.
He loves you.
He desires to bless you.
Trust Him.
January 1, 2014
If we are honest, many times we face a poor view of ourselves. Tammy Maltby writes with refreshing honesty in THE GOD WHO SEES YOU. With pointed writing and good storytelling combined with practical lessons from Scripture, this book is packed with insight and information.
In the first chapter, I was struck with this passage: “That’s the message I want to pass along to you from the start—my personal witness as someone who at times has felt forgotten, uncared for, unloved, invisible. I truly believe I have a word from God for those lonely, aching times in your life. The message is this: Regardless of how you may feel, God does see you. He knows your name, and He loves you—passionately and tenderly. He sees your needs, and He yearns to fill them. At any given moment, even when you feel most alone, He is working out a plan for your future. All you have to do is turn around. Trust Him. Wait for Him. Keep your eyes open.” (page 29)
Open your eyes and heart as you read THE GOD WHO SEES YOU and it will change your life.
In the first chapter, I was struck with this passage: “That’s the message I want to pass along to you from the start—my personal witness as someone who at times has felt forgotten, uncared for, unloved, invisible. I truly believe I have a word from God for those lonely, aching times in your life. The message is this: Regardless of how you may feel, God does see you. He knows your name, and He loves you—passionately and tenderly. He sees your needs, and He yearns to fill them. At any given moment, even when you feel most alone, He is working out a plan for your future. All you have to do is turn around. Trust Him. Wait for Him. Keep your eyes open.” (page 29)
Open your eyes and heart as you read THE GOD WHO SEES YOU and it will change your life.
January 11, 2017
The God Who Sees You begins with the story of Hagar, who fled her abusive slave mistress and fled into the desert where she encountered God. She called Him El-Roi, “The God Who Sees Me.” We all reach points in life where we wonder if God really sees us. Does He see my suffering? Does He see my desperate need? Does He see my invisible heartache? Does He see ME?
Tammy Maltby explores the idea of being seen by God and seeing God. She looks at the causes of our blindness that keep us from seeing God—or seeing that God sees us.
Beautifully written, backed by Scripture, and tested in her personal experience, the powerful message of The God Who Sees You touches us at our point of need, and teaches us to pass this healing message on to others: God sees you!
This review first appeared on my blog, ChristyBower.com.
Tammy Maltby explores the idea of being seen by God and seeing God. She looks at the causes of our blindness that keep us from seeing God—or seeing that God sees us.
Beautifully written, backed by Scripture, and tested in her personal experience, the powerful message of The God Who Sees You touches us at our point of need, and teaches us to pass this healing message on to others: God sees you!
This review first appeared on my blog, ChristyBower.com.
December 7, 2015
Many of us have experienced moments where we feel invisible to others and at times to God. The reality is that He truly sees every moment of our everyday.
This is the message of Tammy Maltby’s book. Tammy writes about how we are truly seen by God right where we are; we are never alone. Tammy is very honest, sharing her own personal stories that will tell you that she can truly relate to those moments as well. Tammy illustrates how we can help others realize that they are seen as well.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that has ever felt invisible or needs a reminder that God sees you always!
This is the message of Tammy Maltby’s book. Tammy writes about how we are truly seen by God right where we are; we are never alone. Tammy is very honest, sharing her own personal stories that will tell you that she can truly relate to those moments as well. Tammy illustrates how we can help others realize that they are seen as well.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that has ever felt invisible or needs a reminder that God sees you always!
July 17, 2013
I like this book a lot. It really cheers me up when I am down. I like to know that god really sees me. it is a great feeling and this book really gives me that. I particularly like how it gives examples from movies and other books to explain each chapter. I also want people to know that this is a book for all ages. I'm not even a teenager yet and I read this book every night before bed. It is not just a book for old people though they can like it too. This is an very comforting and awesome book.
January 20, 2014
What an eye opening look at the way God see you threw His eyes. Author's Tammy Maltby and Christian Buchanan have written a different thought process as to the how God looks into your life.
How well do you know the Lord? Do you know that He knows the very deepest part of you? Have you or do you feel invisible? I know I have:
To read more of my review:
Breath of Life
How well do you know the Lord? Do you know that He knows the very deepest part of you? Have you or do you feel invisible? I know I have:
To read more of my review:
Breath of Life
January 9, 2014
There are a few gems in this book that stuck with me. Overall, however, I found it too broad and wordy. It read like an essay to me with several quotes from various authors and lots of "first, next, finally..." type of paragraphs. The content was ok but again, It felt very, very broad, unnecessarily detailed at times and somewhat repetitious. Potentially encouraging for one struggling with loneliness and other gems are present as well.
August 8, 2015
The author chose an interesting issue to address and she does make a few worthwhile points. My issue was that it was overly repetitious. She could have knocked fifty pages off by not resaying the same things five different ways in each chapter. Also, her continual use of The Message translation of the Bible was off-putting for me. It made everything a little too 'feel good' instead of being helpful.
Read
April 5, 20164.5 stars
Man I wish I would have read this book about 2 years ago when my world fell apart and God was the only thing holding me together. That being said I still enjoyed the book and it has reinforced some of the things I've learned and come to accept along the way. A great read to grow in your relationship with God to understand just what we are to Him and that He does see us.
Man I wish I would have read this book about 2 years ago when my world fell apart and God was the only thing holding me together. That being said I still enjoyed the book and it has reinforced some of the things I've learned and come to accept along the way. A great read to grow in your relationship with God to understand just what we are to Him and that He does see us.
May 13, 2014
I loved this book. I read it slowly, a few pages each day in my morning devotional time. Tammy Maltby takes the story of Hagar, and brings so many truths out of it. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to be encouraged by God's Word and by the knowledge that He really does see you, wherever you are.
February 6, 2020
Picked this up at half price books, struck by it's focus on this verse regarding Hagar from Genesis 16:13 "She gave this name to God who spoke to her, 'You are the God who sees me.' for she said, 'I have now seen the God who sees me.'" I loved it. So many feel unseen...and its our job to make sure they know they are seen...that somebody sees...that ultimately, God sees and cares.
August 31, 2012
I did not 100% agree with everything written in this book, but I will say that it both comforted and challenged me. In particular, the chapter about walking blind, and the chapter called "See and Be" were convicting and thought-provoking.
Want to read
May 15, 2012[free nook book]
April 23, 2013
I give this book 3.5 stars. It was very helpful right now as I am going through a very low point and things just seem to look like they are going to get worse before they get better.
March 8, 2014
Boring!!!
September 6, 2015
Amazing book that connects you with how deeply loved you are by God, the whole thing about Hager changed my perspective that God sees my suffering and pain, he understands it and he is with me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews