It’s easy to assume that when life is going well, we’ve got everything under control. We lean on our jobs, routines, or the things around us—and sometimes we don’t even realize how quickly our trust can drift. But when challenges come, stress hits, or uncertainty grows, we start looking around for someone or something steady. And in that moment, we often discover: there’s only one source we can rely on fully.
Eyes that are always searching
Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him.”
Picture that for a moment. God’s gaze roves over the entire world, searching, looking, seeking people whose hearts are fully loyal. Not because He doesn’t know what’s happening, but because He wants to show Himself strong on our behalf.
This verse originally comes in a context where King Asa had strayed from trusting God, and the consequences were serious. But it also points us toward a bigger truth: God’s attention and care aren’t limited to perfect circumstances. His eyes are scanning for loyalty, not perfection.
Choosing loyalty daily
Prayer and fasting give us space to check our hearts. What do we automatically turn to in moments of stress? When everything goes smoothly, what do we trust? The quiet discipline of fasting helps strip away distractions and false securities until all that’s left is our trust in God.
Psalm 23 paints a similar picture: God’s goodness and mercy follow us relentlessly. The Hebrew word actually suggests pursuing or hounding us—not out of pressure or judgment, but from a desire to bless, to protect, to care. That same heart shows up in Second Chronicles: God wants to show Himself strong for us, to release His goodness and mercy into our lives.
A God-focused pause
Even in the midst of life—work, family, and the busyness of a new year—we can pause. Take a breath. Contemplate the heart of God, the one who is searching and seeking, ready to act on behalf of loyal hearts. It isn’t for someone else. It’s for you. Your name, your life, the ordinary moments where you show up and do what you can. That is exactly where God wants to show Himself strong.
During prayer and fasting, or even in a quiet moment at your desk or in the car, allow this thought to sink in: you are seen, your loyalty matters, and God’s desire is to prove Himself strong in your life.
Take time today to notice it, embrace it, and let it shape how you live the rest of your week.
