READ: MATTHEW 10:29-31; ROMANS 8:35-39; 1 PETER 5:7

Sometimes it feels like no one really sees us. But that’s not true. God notices us. God cares about us. God looks out for us.

Can I get a little gross for a minute and talk about hair? I have long hair, and it doesn’t always stay on my head. I find hair everywhere—on my clothes, on the floor, stuck in my hairbrush. The amount of hair I lose can be frustrating, yet I still have a lot on my head too.

In Matthew 10, Jesus tells us that the hairs on our heads are all numbered. Does God really know how many hairs I have—and does He keep a running count because I’m constantly losing another strand?

God is the one who designed us, the one who made our bodies (Psalms 119:73; 139:13-16). He chose our hair color and decided how much hair we would have. He notices our hair, and because He knows everything about us, He knows how many strands we have. He also notices when we’re hungry, when we’re anxious, and when we really need to be reminded of His closeness.

In other words, God loves us. In this same passage, Jesus says that He notices and cares about each sparrow that falls to the ground, and then Jesus goes on to say that we are much more valuable to Him than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29-31). Jesus showed how much we’re worth when He came and lived among us, ultimately giving up His life for us. He died on the cross, and then He rose from the grave so we could be saved from sin and death—and enjoy newness of life with Him.

So we can rest assured that we are seen. We have worth. We can trust God to be there, no matter what. Our hair can remind us that we don’t have to be afraid, and that even when we feel lonely we are never alone, because we have a God who truly sees us and cares about us. • Emily Acker

• When you think about God knowing the exact number of hairs on your head right now, how does it make you feel? How could it be comforting to remember that He cares about even this tiny detail of our lives?

[Jesus said,] “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Matthew 10:30 (NIV)