“I will go to the Father.”

“For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory, He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith — that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:14–19 (ESV)

“We love because He first loved us.”
1 John 4:19 (ESV)

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions because I always give up by the second or third week of January. Instead, I choose a word or phrase to keep on my heart and mind throughout the year. Yes, I still make specific goals for myself, but I want a broad, gentle reminder — something to grow in over time. This year, I want to meditate on, think about, and pray over the love God has for me. I also want to trust His love more deeply.

This theme — knowing and trusting in God’s love — is a foundation of Christianity. Yet as I walk through life in Christ, I’m learning that my foundation sometimes feels like it’s resting on shifting sand rather than on the Rock. This is especially true in seasons of trial — when mental, spiritual, or physical challenges weigh heavily. Committing to live for Jesus long ago doesn’t mean I don’t drift or forget the assurance of His love and care for me.

Recently, I read a Charles Spurgeon sermon titled Encouragement to Trust and Pray. His words moved me deeply, and I sensed that God intended them to confirm my word for the year.

“Let this verse smile on you and beckon you to God.”

“For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: Thou shalt weep no more: He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer thee.” — Isaiah 30:19 (KJV)

“I would pray the Holy Spirit to speak the words of the text to everyone here present. May we feel them dropping into our hearts like a soft saturating rain…”

Beautiful. A prayer as needed today as it was in the late 19th century. This is my prayer for the year and beyond — for the love of God and His Word to saturate me like a soft rain.

This sermon reminded me of God’s bountiful grace, mercy, and love. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He hears me when I cry out, and He won’t just be gracious — He will be very gracious. He longs to hear from me, patiently waits for me (Isaiah 30:18), and faithfully answers my cries. Who am I that He should be mindful of me? He hears you too and is eager to be near when you cry out to Him.

The Holy Spirit also led me to a sermon by Jackie Hill Perry that confirmed my phrase for the year. Jackie spoke about Hagar, the one who named God El-Roi, “the God who sees.” Though our circumstances differ, I deeply resonate with Hagar’s feelings before and after encountering the Angel of the Lord — betrayed, hurt, unseen, unwanted, and afraid for her life and her son’s.

Jackie noted that Hagar’s name wasn’t used when Abram and Sarai spoke about her. She was a slave, a servant, a foreigner. But when she fled and was most alone, God called her by name and “asked Hagar about Hagar.”

“Then the angel said to her, ‘Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?’” — Genesis 16:8 (NLT)

God already knew the answers. He was reaching out to her — showing that He saw and cared for her. Be encouraged, dear reader: He sees you too.

What joy and comfort fill my heart when I think of the God who sees and hears! We all long to be seen, heard, and known — and we find that perfectly in Him. My heart rejoices when I reflect on these truths. In quiet moments, I sense His nearness and full assurance.
But what about when I’m pressed hard? When I’m suffering?

Providentially, I found another Spurgeon sermon — this one about my favorite psalm, Psalm 13:

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? …
But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” (ESV)

In this short psalm, we see a striking contrast between the despair of the opening verses and the trust at the end. David cries out honestly about his pain, yet he digs deep to trust what he knows is true — God’s steadfast love.

Spurgeon wrote powerful exhortations in that sermon — words still deeply relevant today. We will always face struggles in this broken world. Jesus suffered and told us we would suffer. We constantly wrestle with the flesh, the powers of this world, and indwelling sin. And yet, we are called to trust anyway.

I’ll admit, sometimes I doubt His love and care when life feels uncertain or painful. In those moments, I want to pause, take a deep breath, and speak truth to my heart:

• Today was an awful day.
  Trust in His love. His mercies are new every morning.
• I am anxious and lonely. I feel unloved.
  Feelings are fickle. Trust in the steadfast love of God. He rejoices over you with singing.
• Does He really love me? Why can’t I feel Him near?
  Look to the cross. He truly loves you. He chose you before time began and will return for you.

The words of Spurgeon and Jackie Hill Perry are balm for the soul, but I still need constant reminders of God’s amazing love. We all do. Our hearts tend to wander — to place trust in created things rather than the Creator.

“If God will be gracious to the voice of our cry, and when He hears it will answer us, let us renounce at once all earthly confidences.… Do it again, brother, for the tendency of your heart is still to rest in that which is seen rather than in the invisible Jehovah.”

It’s hard, in moments of despair, to believe that God is near. Sometimes I long to see Him in the flesh. But as I read Scripture and pray to the God who sees me, my confidence grows — just as Spurgeon reminded believers:

“There are brighter days in store for you yet.… everlasting life and blessedness, if you will but now in your distress cast yourself upon the covenanted mercies of God in Christ Jesus His Son.”

This post is a reminder to myself and to you: instead of seeking comfort in things that cannot satisfy, let us call to mind 1 John 4:19, Isaiah 30:18–19, Psalm 13, and Ephesians 3:14–19 — and say with confidence,

“I will go to my Father.”

Could we with ink the ocean fill
and were the skies of parchment made,
were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill
and ev’ry man a scribe by trade,
to write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole,
tho’ stretched from sky to sky.
– The Love of God (hymn)

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for seeing us, hearing our cries, and answering us. Help us remember that Your promises do not remove our trials — but remind us that You have overcome the world. Thank You for Your steadfast love that endures forever. Help us to trust that wonderful love more deeply.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.