Week 2 Day 4 – God Is Near
- Jun 8
- 4 min read
June 4, 2026
Today at Son Seekers, your child learned that God is near when we feel hurt, sad, or afraid. They talked about Psalm 34:18 and how God does not move away from us when we have big feelings. This page is here to help you have a simple, meaningful conversation at home.
Today’s Simple Truth: God is close when I feel hurt, sad, or afraid.
Bible Verse We Talked About: Psalm 34:18
(New International Reader’s Version)
18 The Lord is close to those whose hearts have been broken.
He saves those whose spirits have been crushed.
In Simple Words:
Today, your child learned that God is near when people are hurting. God does not move away from sadness, fear, disappointment, or big feelings. He cares about what hurts us. We also reminded children that they can talk to God and talk to trusted adults when they need help.
Ask Your Child:
1. What does it mean that God is near?
2. When might someone need to remember that God is close?
3. Who are trusted people you can talk to when you feel sad, scared, or need help?
Try This Together:
Talk about simple ways your family can show care when someone is having a hard day.
Examples:
“I can listen.” “I can use kind words.”
“I can sit with someone.” “I can pray.”
“I can ask a trusted adult for help.”
“I can remind someone they are not alone.”
Then say together:
“God is near, and we can ask for help.”
Simple Prayer Option:
If praying out loud is new for your family, you can simply read this together:
“God, thank You that You are near when we feel hurt, sad, or afraid. Help us remember that we are not alone. Help us talk to You and go to trusted people when we need help. Amen.”
If You Are New to This:
You do not have to make this conversation heavy or formal. You can simply say, “I’m glad you learned that God is near when you have big feelings.” Then remind your child they can always come to you when they need help.
Parent Encouragement:
Children need repeated reminders that their feelings matter and that they are not alone. A simple sentence like, “God is near, and I’m here to help too,” can become a comforting truth your child remembers.
Adult Devotion: Near in the Tender Places
Scripture: Psalm 34:18 NIV
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Reflection Time:
Devotional Reading:
Psalm 34:18 says that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. This is one of the most tender truths in Scripture. It does not say God is only close to the cheerful, confident, successful, or spiritually strong. It says He is close to the brokenhearted.
That matters for children. Children experience sadness, fear, disappointment, loneliness, embarrassment, and hurt in very real ways. Their pain may seem small to adults sometimes, but it is not small to them. A child who feels left out, misses home, gets corrected, loses a game, has a friendship struggle, or feels afraid needs more than a quick “you’re okay.” They need reassurance. They need safe adults. They need to know that God is near.
But this truth is not only for children.
Adults can become very skilled at continuing forward while carrying quiet hurt. We can work, parent, lead, answer questions, solve problems, and keep moving while privately feeling tired, disappointed, anxious, lonely, or discouraged. Sometimes we assume that because we are adults, leaders, or believers, we should be able to hold it together without needing comfort.
Psalm 34:18 reminds us that God does not move away from pain. He moves near. God is not uncomfortable with sadness. He is not disappointed by weakness. He is not distant from the places where we feel tender, tired, or overwhelmed.
His nearness is not based on our ability to appear strong.
This does not mean every hurt disappears instantly. God’s nearness is not a promise that we will never feel pain. It is a promise that we are not abandoned in it.
Today, receive that truth for yourself. God is near to you in the places where you feel worn down. He is near in the things you have not had time to process. He is near in the quiet concerns you carry. He is near in the moments when responsibility feels heavy.
You do not have to pretend you are fine to be close to God. He is already near.
Adult Reflection Questions:
1. Where in my life do I need to remember that God is near, not distant?
2. How do I usually respond when I feel hurt, tired, sad, or overwhelmed?
3. What would it look like to receive God’s nearness today instead of pretending I am fine?
Simple Prayer:
“God, thank You that You are close to the brokenhearted. Help me remember that You are near in the tender, tired, and overwhelmed places. Teach me to receive Your comfort and to offer gentle care to others. Amen.”
Optional Next Step:
Today, when you or your child has a hard feeling, pause before rushing to fix it.
Try one of these simple responses:
“God is near in this.” “You are not alone.”
“It is okay to feel sad.” “Let’s talk to God about it.”
“I’m here to help.”
