We’re on God’s Mind
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” – Psalm 8:3-4, NIV
Do you enjoy looking up at the night sky? I love to look at the moon and stars as often as I can on my evening walks, and sometimes on clear nights, I’ll even go to a park away from city lights to get a closer look at the heavens. The beauty and vastness of space are awe-inspiring!
In Psalm 8:3-4, King David considers our awe-inspiring universe and wonders: Why us? Why are we, these tiny creations on a small planet, the focus of the Creator of all that? The truth, David discovered, was that we’re on God’s mind. God – the gigantically powerful Creator who has made everything and everyone and sustains it all – is mindful of us. God constantly pays close, loving attention to us. In a cosmos of unimaginable scale, every single detail of our little lives matters to God!
God’s care for us isn’t based on how good we are or how important our work seems. It’s a reflection of God’s character, which is pure love. Jesus describes God’s wonderful loving care for us when he teaches us that God even knows the number of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7) and is mindful of his whole creation, including us and even small, common creatures like sparrow birds (Matthew 10:29).
This incredible reality – that we’re always on God’s mind – can inspire us to think of God, as well. After all, since our Creator is mindful of us, shouldn’t we be mindful of him?
Being mindful of God simply means to live with an awareness of God’s presence. It means letting the reality of God’s presence with us shape our thoughts, feelings, and decisions throughout each day.
Just as God is mindful of our needs, we can be mindful of how God is constantly meeting those needs by pouring blessings into our lives. The more we pay attention to those blessings, the more we can be inspired to thank God for them and trust God to answer our prayers for our future needs.
When we’re especially busy, it’s easy to push God to the margins of our lives. Being mindful of God involves placing our relationships with God at the center of our lives and choosing to live in the awareness of God’s love from day to day. The ultimate reason we’re on God’s mind is that he loves us so completely. We can’t earn God’s love, and we can’t lose it. We have it forever, and we can just enjoy it, because God is mindful of us. When we’re mindful of God, we remind ourselves to embrace the wonderful love that our Heavenly Father offers to us, and to love him back.
The distance between us and the stars is nothing compared to the closeness of a God who carefully centers his attention on us. So, let’s live today and every day with the awareness that we’re loved and cared for because we’re on God’s mind!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider how you’re on God’s mind, reflect on these questions:
- When you look at the natural world (such as the sky, an ocean, or a forest), what’s one feature that inspires you with awe at God’s power, and how does that make God’s focus on you seem even more amazing?
- How can you change your daily routine to live with more of an intentional awareness of God’s presence with you?
- What was a time recently when you felt God’s mindful attention for you, such as an answered prayer, a timely piece of guidance, or encouragement?
- Since being on God’s mind means you’re completely loved and accepted, what’s one area of your life where you can let go of the need for other people’s approval and rely more on God’s unfailing love for you?
- How can you make more time in your schedule to become more mindful of God by communicating with him in prayer and meditation?
Further Reading:
1 Peter 5:7
Isaiah 49:16
Matthew 6:26
Psalm 139:17-18
Jeremiah 29:11
How did today’s devotional speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Crosswalk Devotional discussion.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/m-gucci
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