When You Feel Overlooked, Look Up - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - August 29, 2025
"Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing." Isaiah 40:26
Recently, I have been struggling to feel seen, valued, and recognized for something – anything. Between the monotonous day-to-day routine of juggling kids' schedules, running errands, and tidying up the house, I feel these tasks quickly become somewhat meaningless. Ugh. I really hate to even admit that because as much as I love being a mom, I often feel overlooked and so unappreciated in this role.
As I glare over at the dishes piled up in the sink and the laundry that has become stacked higher than Mt. Vesuvius, those all-too-familiar doubts and confidence killers start to rise up, and I begin to ask God what He really wants from me. Is this it? Do You even see me? Am I of any value?
Honestly, it’s so easy for the enemy to use our fixated feelings to discount the efforts we give and the impacts we are making on our family, friends, and community. Yet, it’s almost as if God knew His precious daughters would encounter negative waves of emotion, which is why I believe He ever so lovingly supplies us with countless stories of women in His Word—women who must have also felt lost, forgotten, and, yes, even overlooked.
However, when we think of powerful, strong, and faithful women in the Bible, it’s easy for the stories of Mary, Esther, Hannah, Sarah, or Ruth to come to mind. And while their stories are deeply impactful and share wisdom and hope, there are also “lesser known” women with amazing stories we can learn from all the same.
Sweet sis, if you are feeling a little overlooked today, grab your Bible and sit with me as we unpack a few women of the Bible who hold a heavy heart but offer a powerful message. A message that will help us feel fully seen, fully known, and fully adored.
Turn to Genesis 16. There we meet Hagar. Poor, sweet Hagar. Quite possibly one of the most misunderstood women in the Bible. A woman caught up and intermingled in a love triangle that would change and scar humanity. Yet, God meets her and shows compassion for her. He saw her hurt, pain, frustration, and fear. She felt overlooked, but God helped her become known and feel loved (Genesis 16:1-15, Genesis 21:1-20).
Then there is Leah, the wife of Jacob, forever second to her beautiful sister, Rachel. She must have felt so unloved and overlooked, not only by her husband but her own father who made a devious arrangement for her marriage (Genesis 29:25-27). I can’t even begin to imagine the anguish she must have felt.
In Numbers 27, we meet five sisters also known as the daughters of Zelophehad. They followed Moses through the long and treacherous trek to the promised land. However, when they finally arrived, Moses decided each man and family would get part of the land, leaving these sisters without any land at all! Talk about feeling overlooked! Yet, God intervened and spoke to Moses reminding him that His daughters are worthy too (Numbers 27:6-7).
Friend, do you see it? Their stories are our stories. Her story is your story!
I just love how the gospel provides proof that God takes notice of those who feel unimportant, unlovable, and unnoticed. That means the God who created and numbered the stars and put every living thing into motion knows you by name and has created you with purpose, on purpose. You are so very valuable to Him, and your contributions, no matter how big or small, how noble or mundane, are seen by a God who simply adores you!
Father God, I am so very thankful that You give us a tender invitation as Your daughters to look up and seek You when we are overcome by negative emotions and feel overlooked and unappreciated. When we feel our contributions and efforts are pointless or meaningless, please draw close and remind us that the thief may be out to destroy our story and shift our perspective, but our gratification comes from You alone. God, grant us strength and joy to find purpose, even in mundane tasks, and remind us that You give us purpose in every single season. Thank you for being such a good Father. We love you. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Pexels/Tony James Andersson
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
