A child rushes into the arms of a parent to seek refuge in distress. A parent stoops low to pick up a child. The former reflects a heart that trusts; the latter, a heart of loving care. God hears us and is with us every step of the way, like a loving parent. In the midst of anxiety, grief, or any challenging situation, the Lord is near to us. When we are broken, fearful, and despondent, we can look to him with childlike trust, because he deeply cares. Our happiness comes from him alone, the source of all goodness. Our instinct to care comes from the heart of God, who loved us and gave us an inheritance we did not earn by our own merits. Why do we hesitate to express our cries to him? Let us set aside the façade that blocks us from reaching out with childlike trust. Let us approach God, our loving Father, with that same innate confidence: that he is our God and we are his children. The Lord has ‘plans for our welfare and not for woe, so as to give us a future of hope’ (cf. Jer 29:11).

Abba Father, thank you for the assurance that you are always with us. Amen.