Feeling Seen by God

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

Psalms 34:17

It was not the peanut butter that broke her—it was everything it represented.

You see, Penny was a single mom who had always done her best to hold things together for her daughters. One evening, her youngest asked, “Mom, it has been a while since we’ve had any peanut butter. Could we get some?”

Penny’s heart broke. She assured her daughter she would try, but deep down, she wondered how she could afford it. Later that night Penny sunk into the couch and poured her heart out to God in prayer. She cried herself to sleep that night, burdened by stress and shame.

The next day, Penny went about her routine, delivering food on her Meals on Wheels route. At one of her stops, an older woman greeted her warmly and held out a jar.

“Sweetheart, they gave me this peanut butter in my delivery yesterday. I can’t eat it anymore, but I thought maybe your girls would like it.”

Penny could hardly speak as she stared at the jar in her hands. Tears welled up as she realized that God had answered her prayer.

In that moment, she felt seen—completely and unmistakably seen by God.

So today, if you are carrying a burden that is too heavy to bear, take a moment to bring your need to God. Trust that His love for you is more personal than you know, and He is ready meet your needs in ways that might surprise you.