The God Who Stoops

Been feeling overlooked or unheard? In this powerful devotion, Dianna Hobbs reminds you that God is never too busy for you. He sees you, hears you, and is responding even now.

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The other day, I was doing a simple Google search when something unexpected happened. I stumbled across a piece I had written back in 2012. It had nothing to do with what I was searching for, but curiosity got the best of me, so I clicked.

As I read, a smile spread across my face. It wasn’t because the writing was particularly good. It was because I felt like I was meeting a version of myself I don’t always have access to these days.

After my brain injury, there are gaps in my memory, parts of my story that aren’t as clear as they used to be. So when I come across old writing, it’s more than just archived content. It’s a reminder. A piece of evidence. A window into who I was.

That day, what I found truly blessed me.

The article was about marriage and family. I had written about the importance of making time at home a priority, even when life is busy and responsibilities seem endless. I wrote about how easy it is to get pulled in a hundred different directions and let outside demands chip away at the things that matter most.

Then I shared a story.

Back then, my life was full in every way. I was hosting a daily drive-time radio show, traveling and speaking across the country, running an online magazine, and leading a nonprofit. At home, I was also homeschooling our children.

One particular day stands out. I was getting ready to step in and interview the mayor of my hometown, Buffalo, New York, after the regular host had fallen ill. Suddenly, the responsibility for the entire program landed on me with almost no warning.

As I rushed to get dressed and pull everything together, the weight of it all pressed in. Meanwhile, my four children were far less concerned about my hectic schedule. One after another, they came to me with the same question: “Are we still going bike riding tomorrow?” They wanted details. They wanted a promise. Most of all, they wanted my attention.

My mind was racing, focused on the assignment ahead, but in that moment, I realized something important.

This mattered to them.

So I paused.

I bent down, right in the middle of the chaos, and gathered their attention. Their little faces turned up to me, eyes wide, voices tumbling over each other as they waited for reassurance.

And I gave it to them.

Yes, we’re going. No, I haven’t forgotten. You have my word.

Once satisfied, they scattered, content and secure. I grinned as I went back to my preparations. I had heavy responsibilities that day, but I chose to pause, to stoop, to meet them where they were, and to let them know they mattered.

If I, with all my limits, could do that for my children, how much more does our perfect Heavenly Father do the same for us?

The very next day, I kept my promise. We went bike riding. We laughed and spent hours together. I traded heels for sneakers and deadlines for memories.

Reading that story so many years later, I realized my perspective hasn’t changed. After 28 years of marriage, raising children who are now adults, and walking through countless seasons of life, I still believe what I believed then.

My first ministry is my family.

But looking back now, I also see something I didn’t fully recognize at the time.

I see God.

The God we serve is high and holy, sovereign over everything. Yet Scripture shows us something astonishing about Him. Though He is exalted, He chooses to lower Himself and engage with us.

Psalm 113:5–6 says, “Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?”

That phrase “who stoops down” comes from the Hebrew word shah-FAL (שָׁפַל). It means to be low, to humble oneself, to bring oneself down. In other words, God doesn’t just see you from a distance. He brings Himself close.

Think about that for a moment.

The Creator of all things is not distant. He is not too busy or too important to notice you.

He stoops.
He leans in.
He makes Himself available.

We see this most clearly in Jesus. Philippians 2 tells us that Christ, though fully God, took on the form of a servant and came in human likeness. He stepped into our world, our struggles, our limitations, so that we could know Him and be restored by Him.

This is what theologians call divine condescension. It is not God looking down on us, but God coming down to us. He is never too busy to listen when we pray. Never too distracted to respond when we call. Never too distant to come close when we need Him.

Even now, as you read this, God is stooping down, doing the same for you.

The One who carries the weight of the world. The One who hears the cries of nations and the whispers of hearts. The One to whom countless prayers are lifted all at once, from every corner of the earth. He is not overwhelmed. He is not distracted.

He is omniscient, knowing all. He is omnipresent, everywhere at once. He is fully aware of every voice calling out to Him.

And yet, He leans down. He pauses. He gives you His undivided attention. And He says to you even now: I hear you. I have not forgotten you. I will keep My word. I will honor My promises.

Friend, there are no competing voices in the ear of God. No prayer gets lost in the crowd. No cry goes unnoticed. The demands placed upon Him do not diminish His ability to respond to you personally and intentionally.

To remind you of this truth, I’m stirring Psalm 34:15 (NIV) as the sweetener in your cup of inspiration, which says, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are attentive to their cry.”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, know this: God sees you. He hears you. And He is not ignoring your voice. His attention is fixed on you, and He is faithfully responding in ways you may not yet see, but can trust completely.

Now, let’s pray.

God, I thank You for being powerful enough to rule over everything and yet personal enough to care about me. Thank You for hearing my voice and responding with love and faithfulness. Help me to trust in Your nearness and rest in Your promises daily. In Jesus’ name, Amen.