God always sees us and we can always trust him, but there are times in life where we need to remember these particular truths in a more intentional way.
1. If You Have Been Abandoned, Rejected, or Hurt By Someone, God Is Reminding You that He Sees You and You Can Trust Him
Never project human sin onto the character of God. If someone you love has not loved you back, this does not say anything about the love of God. If someone has been faithless to you, this does not say anything about the faithfulness of God. If someone has come against you, this does not disprove that God is for you.
We are often tempted to project our hurts caused by people onto God because God is invisible and people are right in front of us. The words, actions, and character of other humans often feel more real to us that the words, actions, and character of God because we don’t visibly see God right now. This is why we must have faith, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” (Hebrews 11:1).
Let God speak for God. Let his word be the authority on truth in your life. Let the actions of Jesus speak for Jesus (Romans 8:31-32). As Psalm 23:4-6 states:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
If you are in the valley, this does not mean God can’t see you. The presence of an enemy does not disprove the presence of God. If someone has rejected you, if they have abandoned you, or if they have maliciously attacked you, God is reminding you that he accepts you, he has not abandoned you, and he will never let anything separate you from his love if you are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37-39). God is everything that this sinful world is not.
2. If It Feels Like Your Obedience Is Going Unrewarded, God Is Reminding You that He Sees You and He Is Trustworthy
Why are other people getting promoted at work who don’t work as hard as you? Why are other people getting married even though they are having premarital sex and you are not? Why are you struggling with health issues even though you try to take care of your body but other people who abuse their bodies seem to be healthier than you? Psalm 37:1-6 explains:
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.”
Life is a journey. It may feel like other people are living a better life than you even though they are disobeying God and you are obeying God, but that’s because the journey isn’t over. When we reach eternity, this life will seem like a vapor that lasted just a few moments. And even in this life, following God brings peace and rejecting God brings pain.
If you feel like your obedience is not being rewarded and you are getting tired of seeing other people prosper as they reject Jesus, remember that God sees you and he is trustworthy. As Psalm 34:15-19 also states:
The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
3. If You Have Been Running from God, He Still Sees You and He Still Wants You to Trust Him
You may have lost sight of God long ago, but God has not lost sight of you. You may have turned your back on him in your youth, but God has not turned his back on you even now. You may have run to carnal pleasures to ease your suffering, but God’s grace will always outweigh your sin (Romans 5:20). As Psalm 139:7-12 says:
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”
No matter where you have run to, God sees you. He wants you to trust him. Repent, turn back to Christ, and his grace will replace your guilt (Romans 5:20). One day it will be too late, but that day is not today. If you still have breath in your lungs and you are alive, you can be close to Jesus through the gospel. God has not forgotten you. Remember him, stop running away and run towards him. He loves you.
As Psalm 139:17-18 (NLT) states, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”
