God is a caring, loving, compassionate father. He loves you more than you will ever understand. He loves you more than you can ever comprehend. God is love, and he made you to love you. He is loving toward you in everything that he does, and his compassion is his most outstanding quality. God is a caring father.

The Bible says in Psalm 103:13, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (NIV). He cares about everything in your life — compassionately.

Most of the disciples were professional fishermen. One day when they were out fishing, Jesus got tired and curled up in one end of the boat and went to sleep. When a storm came up, it shouldn’t have bothered the disciples. As fishermen, they were used to storms. But this must have been a big one, because they got scared. The ship was rocking and rolling, and water was coming into the boat. They were frantic and woke up Jesus to ask him one of the most important questions in life: “Lord, don’t you care?”

You and I ask that question of God all the time and in a thousand ways: “God, did you see that doctor’s report? Don’t you care? Do you see what a mess my marriage is in? Don’t you care? Do you see how little money we’ve got in the bank and all the bills we’ve got? Don’t you care? Do you see how my kids are struggling in school? Don’t you care? You know this fear that grips my mind that I can’t seem to get rid of. Don’t you care?”

The answer is yes, God cares. In fact, he cares more than you care. He wants to help more than you want help. He knows what will help you more than you know what will help you. He is aware, and he cares.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

If you knew and felt how much your heavenly Father cares compassionately and constantly about you, you’d have to love him back. If you feel like God is a million miles away, it’s because you don’t understand the kind of caring Father he really is. That understanding is the first step to inner peace.