Even when God seems distant from His church, His heart is full of love for her. History shows that whenever God uses a rod to discipline His servants, He breaks it afterward, as if He despises the tool that caused His children pain. "Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion

on those who fear Him." His discipline is not a sign of a lack of love. You may fear that the Lord has forgotten you, but it’s not true: the One who counts the stars and calls them by name is not going to forget His own children. He knows your situation as well as if you were the only person He ever created or loved. Draw near to Him and be at peace.

Just as the sun spreads its warmth and light over all the earth, God floods the universe with His goodness, and His people bask in its rays. If you’ve ever felt deprived, it’s not because God was stingy. You may have limited your own capacity to receive,

but God’s generosity is infinite. He pours out floods of mercy and oceans of love for us.