Was it reasonable for David to expect God to pay attention to him? Does God pay attention to you? Many people struggle to believe that an almighty God is interested in them. Why?

One reason is that God is a much higher life-form than mere humans. As seen from his lofty position, entire nations “are like a drop from a bucket, and as the film of dust on the scales they are regarded.” (Isaiah 40:15) One skeptical modern-day writer went so far as to conclude that it is “the height of conceit to believe that there is a divine being who takes a personal and immediate interest in your doings.”

On the other hand, some people feel that their conduct makes them unworthy of God’s attention. For example, a middle-aged man named Jim relates: “I constantly prayed for peace and self-control, but sooner or later, my anger always returned. Finally, I concluded that I was wicked to the core and that God was unable to help me.”

Is God so distant from humans that he fails to notice us? How does he really feel about his imperfect creatures? Without divine revelation, no human can rightly speak for God and answer those questions. However, God’s inspired message to humankind​—the Bible—​assures us that he is not a distant entity devoid of concern for individuals. “In fact,” the Bible states, “he is not far off from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27) In the following four articles, we will consider what God tells us about his interest in individuals and how he has shown such interest in real people just like you.

WHY SOME HAVE DOUBTS: According to a recent study, our galaxy alone may contain at least 100 billion planets. Given the immense scale of the universe, many people ask, ‘Why should the almighty Creator watch what lowly humans do on a tiny planet?’

WHAT GOD’S WORD TEACHES: God did not simply give us the Bible and then lose interest in us. Rather, Jehovah assures us: “I will give you advice with my eye upon you.”​—Psalm 32:8.

Consider Hagar, an Egyptian woman of the 20th century B.C.E. Hagar was disrespectful to her employer, Sarai, so Sarai humiliated her, and Hagar ran away to the wilderness. Now that Hagar had made a mistake, did God lose interest in her? The Bible reports: “Jehovah’s angel found her.” That angel reassured Hagar, stating: “Jehovah has heard your affliction.” Hagar then said to Jehovah: “You are a God of sight.”​—Genesis 16:4-13.

The “God of sight” watches you too. To illustrate: A loving mother is especially watchful of her little children, since the younger the child, the more he needs his parent’s attention. Similarly, God especially watches over us when we are lowly and vulnerable. “I reside in the high and holy place,” Jehovah says, “but also with those crushed and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of those being crushed.”​—Isaiah 57:15.

Nevertheless, you may wonder: ‘How does God watch me? Does he judge me by my appearance, or does he look beneath the surface and really understand who I am?’

WHY SOME HAVE DOUBTS: Many people feel that God sees humans only as sinners​—unclean and unworthy of his attention. Kendra, who suffered from depression, felt guilt-ridden because she could not measure up perfectly to God’s requirements. As a result, she said, “I stopped praying.”

WHAT GOD’S WORD TEACHES: Jehovah looks beneath your imperfections and understands who you really are. “He well knows how we are formed,” says the Bible, “remembering that we are dust.” What is more, he does not deal with us “according to our sins,” but he mercifully forgives us when we repent.​—Psalm 103:10, 14.

Consider David, the Israelite king mentioned in the first article of this series. In prayer to God, David said: “Your eyes even saw me as an embryo; all its parts were written in your book . . . Search through me, O God, and know my heart.” (Psalm 139:16, 23) Yes, David was convinced that even though he sinned​—gravely at times—​Jehovah could discern his repentant heart.

Jehovah understands you better than any human does. “Mere man sees what appears to the eyes,” the Bible says, “but Jehovah sees into the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) God knows what makes you tick​—how heredity, the way you grew up, your environment, and your personality all shape the person you are. He sees and values the person you strive to be, even though you make mistakes.

How, though, does God use his profound understanding of ‘the real you’ to comfort you?

WHY SOME HAVE DOUBTS: Even when they desperately need comfort, some people feel that it is selfish to ask God to intervene and help them cope with their problems. “When I look at the sheer number of people in the world​—and the serious problems they face,” says a woman named Raquel, “my concerns seem so insignificant that I hesitate to ask God for help.”

WHAT GOD’S WORD TEACHES: God has already intervened in a remarkable way to help and comfort humans. Everyone on earth today has inherited sin​—a chronic failure to measure up perfectly to God’s requirements. However, God “loved us and sent his Son [Jesus Christ] as a means of appeasement for our sins.” (1 John 4:10; footnote) Through Jesus’ sacrificial death, God makes it possible for us to have forgiveness of sins, a clean conscience, and the hope of eternal life in a peaceful new world.a But is that sacrifice merely for the human race as a whole, or does it reflect God’s interest in you personally?

Consider the apostle Paul. He was so moved by the sacrifice of Jesus that he wrote: “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and handed himself over for me.” (Galatians 2:20) True, Jesus died even before Paul became a Christian. Yet, Paul viewed that sacrifice as God’s personal gift to him.

The sacrificial death of Jesus is God’s personal gift to you too. That gift proves how precious you are to God. It can give you “everlasting comfort and good hope” and thus “make you firm in every good deed and word.”​—2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17.

Yet, Jesus offered his life as a sacrifice almost 2,000 years ago. What evidence is there that God is reaching out to you today?

WHY SOME HAVE DOUBTS: Many who believe in God feel distant from him. “I just viewed him as the God who created everything,” admits Christina, a woman from Ireland who attended church every week. “But I didn’t know him. Not once did I feel close to him.”

WHAT GOD’S WORD TEACHES: When we feel lost, Jehovah does not give up on us. Jesus illustrated God’s care for us this way: “If a man has 100 sheep and one of them strays, will he not leave the 99 on the mountains and set out on a search for the one that is straying?” The lesson? “Likewise, it is not a desirable thing to my Father who is in heaven for even one of these little ones to perish.”​—Matthew 18:12-14.

Every “one of these little ones” is precious to God. How does God “search for the one that is straying”? According to the scripture quoted at the outset, Jehovah draws people to him.

Consider how God took the initiative to draw sincere individuals. In the first century C.E., God sent the Christian disciple Philip to intercept an Ethiopian official’s chariot and discuss the meaning of a Bible prophecy that the official was reading. (Acts 8:26-39) Later, God directed the apostle Peter to visit the home of a Roman officer named Cornelius, who had been praying and striving to worship God. (Acts 10:1-48) God also guided the apostle Paul and his companions to a river outside the city of Philippi. There, they met “a worshipper of God” named Lydia, and “Jehovah opened her heart wide to pay attention.”​—Acts 16:9-15.

In each case, Jehovah made sure that those who were seeking him had an opportunity to know him. Who today call on people in their homes and in public areas to share the Bible’s message about God? Many would answer, “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Ask yourself, ‘Could it be that God is using them to reach out to me?’ We urge you to pray to God to help you respond to his efforts to draw you to him.a