When someone says, “Don’t take this personally, but…” they usually start to critique something about your behavior.

Sometimes the criticism stings. But, if it’s valid, in order to make the correction, you probably should take it personally, since addressing it and making an effort to change will affect who you are as a person.

When God says something, we should take it personally. But, mostly, we should take God personally.

Christians too often approach God less as a person and more like an administrative office, checking to see that we’re following rules before fulfilling various requests.

But Scripture paints a portrait of a deeply personal God who seeks us in the most personal ways imaginable. In today’s verse, the prophet Isaiah says that God is even more nurturing, more full of personal compassion than a nursing mother.

So, our chief pursuit in life shouldn’t be getting what we want, it should be seeking God personally, directly, intimately. He is to be our first and our last thought. Our trust in His care should be as natural as breathing.

The Lord has promised that He will never forget you. You are His beloved child. Take God personally: He always keeps His promises.