Devotional

God’s preoccupation with us

Lam Kok Hiang // July 9, 2019, 7:52 pm

Photo by Jeremy Perkins on Unsplash

Photo by Jeremy Perkins on Unsplash

We can all appreciate a thoughtful surprise. A wife is overjoyed when her husband returns home with an unexpected bouquet of flowers. She loves the flowers, but it is knowing that her husband thought of her and made the effort to get her flowers that fills her heart with joy.

Similarly, when we receive an unexpected text message from a friend asking how we are doing, their warmth envelops us.

How wonderful it is to know that someone is thinking about us in a given moment!

Constant and abiding comfort

The psalmist writes: “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them all! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:17-18)

God doesn’t just think of us in certain moments, but all the time, in every moment.

Take comfort in knowing that God thinks the world of us!

Psalm 139 reminds us His thoughts are personal, He knows all about us and cares deeply for us.

His thoughts are precious. They are not random and frivolous thoughts but “weighty” and “valuable”. They are unique, profound, and purposeful for our well-being (Psalm 92:5, Jeremiah 29:11).

His thoughts are prodigious, too vast and inexhaustible for us to grasp. God never stops thinking about us, even while we are asleep.

When we are discouraged and feel alone, let us take comfort in knowing that God thinks the world of us!

What great thoughts 

Isn’t it mind-blowing to know that the Creator God and Sustainer of all things is constantly thinking about us? (Psalm 8:3-4)

Press the pause button in our busy schedules; simply enjoy God and His preoccupation with us.

He is preoccupied with us because He delights in us, like a new mother watching over and thinking about her newborn day and night.

At times, He may be “anxious” for us concerning the choices we make that result in our being distanced from Him. Yet He always desires for us to come back to Him, just as the loving father waits for his prodigal son to return home.

How do we respond to God’s preoccupation with us?

With thanksgiving that motivates us to enjoy His presence every moment of the day. To know what God is thinking about, we read His Word and spend time soaking in His presence through prayer and listening to Him.

Let our first and last thought be about God. Whenever possible, let us press the pause button in our busy schedules, to simply enjoy God and His preoccupation with us.

May we choose not to let our hurried and busy lifestyles rob us of these tender moments with God.

Reflection and Discussion

  1. How does it change your day to know that God thinks personalprecious, and prodigious thoughts about us?
  2. How will you respond to this lavish love from God? 
About the author

Lam Kok Hiang

Lam Kok Hiang has over 30 years of experience in full-time Christian vocational ministry. He holds a MA (Biblical Studies) from Dallas Theological Seminary and has led Cru Singapore as National Team Leader since 2006. An avid runner, Kok Hiang shares a love for books with his wife, Sharon. Together, their desire is to see young leaders rise up in local churches and missions agencies across Asia.

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