When kids are little you can often catch them saying “hey mom” or “hey dad” – “look at me!”
The reason for this clamoring is usually because the young one has mastered a new skill or accomplished a new feat, and they want to make sure that the people they look up to and admire the most see what they are doing and affirm their achievements. In a world where we are often distracted, undivided attention can be hard to come by and our kids, like each of us, feel valued and loved when they receive it.
Sometimes Christians can feel like they are in the same position as these young kids, but instead of hollering for their earthly parents, they are vying for the attention of their Heavenly Father. Perhaps their morning quiet time has started to feel routine, and their daily prayers seem to go unheard. Perhaps the sorrows of their heart appear inconsolable, or their problems, insurmountable. They are trying to do what they think God wants, but His attention and His affection seem concentrated elsewhere. “Hey Dad – look at me!” they may want to cry, hopeful that the God who is good and kind will turn His eyes on them.
When we feel this way, it is important that we remember a few things. First, even when it might not feel like God’s paying attention, He is. The God who knows the number of hairs on our head (Luke 12:7) is assuredly aware of the details of our lives. Secondly, Scripture tells us that it is not our skills or achievements that prompts God to focus His attention on us. Instead, as Isaiah 66:2 states, He looks upon the person who is “humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My [God’s] Word.” Stated differently, it is our attitude towards God that causes Him to fix His loving gaze on us.
To be clear, this does not mean that God is only paying attention to what’s going on when His children have a right attitude towards Him. As the old hymn goes, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” And this is true (See Mt. 10:29). God is sustaining the entire universe and so He has to be focused on it in its entirety. But Isaiah is using this anthropomorphic language to convey something about the type of person who pleases God; the person who, while recognizing His glory and His majesty (Is. 66:1), can still confidently approach His throne of grace. It isn’t the person who is applauding themselves for their dedication to prayer and Bible reading; it is the person who recognizes that the good they do can never compare to how good He is; it is the person who doesn’t think highly of themselves, but instead magnifies and exalts the Most High God. The person who God is “looking at” recognizes their sin, turns from it, and takes seriously what God’s Word commands. They are humble, contrite, and tremble at the solemnity of God’s Word.
Little kids may try new tricks and reach for new milestones in order to try to capture their parents’ attention. But if a child of God feels like they are not experiencing the loving and attentive gaze of their Heavenly Father, it is not new achievements that He is looking for. Instead, they should seek to surrender their pride and put on humility; they should replace self-righteousness with a heart that is contrite; and they should strive to diligently and earnestly apply the Truth of His good Word.
