After church one Sunday, my husband and I were talking about the lyrics to one of the worship songs. It was a song that struck us both for different reasons, but still resonated in our hearts because of the same line: God is for me.

God is not against me. He is not indifferent to you, either.

Wow.

Sometimes in life, it feels like we fight to the bitter end of each day, just trying to find peace, to do the right thing, to be brave. Sometimes we know that making the right choice will leave someone with hurt. Sometimes we’ve made the wrong choice altogether, and we’re working to correct our mistakes and solve the problems we’ve created but we still have to do regular life, like going to work or taking the kids to school or paying bills. It’s a lot.

It’s a lot of striving, of fighting, of trying to make it all work. Maybe there are a lot of people in your life and they are happy for what you can give, but they don’t give back much. Maybe there are people who have deep circles of community, but you find yourself on a little island, the one who is forgotten when everyone else starts a texting chain about where to meet for dinner or whether the newest movie out is good or not. Maybe some of the people around you aren’t technically against you, but they aren’t for you either. Maybe they are simply indifferent to you.

Pursue me! Pursue me! We scream it into the world. We want to be remembered, known, intentionally engaged, understood, loved. We want to be valued by others because somehow, someway, that helps us believe we are the dignified, valued people that God created us to be. It’s not a bad thing to want at all, yet even well-meaning community—even family—falls short of knowing and loving and being “for you” at every turn. God doesn’t. He sees you. He cares for you. Always. Even when the people around you aren’t doing these things well.

God is for you. Actively, intentionally, purposefully for you. He loves you with purpose. He is not indifferent about you. He provides for you with passion. He leads you with wisdom, keeping up with where you are and when you need Him to rescue you from your wandering. He is God. He is the good shepherd. He knows His sheep. And He loves each and every one. Intentionally. Purposely. Fully. Without fail.

The Bible confirms this truth when talking about God’s people, those who choose to accept the Spirit of Christ and welcome being adopted into God’s family. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”   Romans 8:28

If you feel overwhelmed by the rush of water raging at you, when you feel like you can’t stand in the flood of demands or critiques, when there is one person you try to please and you just can’t, when there is one place you want to belong and the people there stand smiling but with locked arms because you can’t cross over into their niche, remember—God is for you. He is on your side. He’s the one who matters most. And He loves you. He loves you. He loves you.

In a world full of antagonistic or indifferent people, your Heavenly Father is for you. Amen.