Psalm 34:15 - The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

“Watch me, mom! Can you hear me, dad!? Look at me aunt/unc!” - so frequently says the child. And so we watch when they ask.

And sometimes we observe without being asked.

From across the room, watch a child do something excellent - like help a friend - and you’re overwhelmed with happy emotion.

Hear a child cry from an adjacent room and you drop everything you’re doing to see what’s wrong.

God is this kind of Father - noticing and caring in grief… but note who for - the righteous - those who are right with him.

If God seems far away, it may be we’re like a child, hysterical in pain and grief, not realizing their parent is right next to them. We only need open the eyes of our heart.

Or, it’s possible we’re not right with God. We may have drifted in the faith. We may be deep in sin - possibly even sin we don’t think of as sin but it’s hosing us. We may be in a far-off country like the Prodigal Son.

He knows where we are but we, ourselves, need to get him back in view.

Psalm 34:19 - Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

The righteous aren’t spared trouble! He allows trials to refine us like gold. But he delivers. His hand is acting right with us.

Psalm 34:22 - The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

We can’t take refuge in a house hundreds of miles away. May we put ourselves nearer and nearer to God - so close we can take refuge in him.