Monday Devotional 2026: The God who Hears
Night Two – The God Who Hears
“How Could You Know?”
Danielle Strickland tells the story of working with The Salvation Army on the drug-affected streets of downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Each day, she would walk the neighborhood, look for people who were hurting, and try to help in whatever way she could.
One day, her friend Cathy came with her.
Cathy was bold and fearless. She was not afraid to talk to anyone.
They had only walked a few blocks when Cathy noticed a tough-looking man leaning against a set of concrete steps. Before Danielle could warn her that this man was one of the most powerful drug dealers in the neighborhood, Cathy walked straight up to him.
“Do you want a word from the Lord?” she asked.
The man looked away and acted like he didn’t hear her.
But Cathy was not easily discouraged.
“It’s free,” she said. “And it will only take a minute.”
The man looked at her, probably realizing there was no easy way to escape this conversation.
“If it’s free,” he said, “I guess so.”
Cathy stood beside him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. Then she became very quiet. After a moment, her face grew serious.
“I see a little boy,” she said. “He is hiding in a closet. His father has come home drunk and angry. And the little boy is crying out, ‘Baby Jesus, save me. Baby Jesus, save me.’”
The man suddenly went weak. His knees buckled, and he crumbled onto the concrete sidewalk in tears.
“How could you know that?” he sobbed. “How could you know that?”
Cathy knelt beside him, held him in her arms, and spoke the words every hurting heart needs to hear:
“You were not alone in that closet. Jesus heard your cry. He saw your fear. He felt your pain. And He sent me here today to remind you that God always hears our cries.”
There is one line in the Exodus story that always gets my attention.
The Israelites were suffering. They were slaves in Egypt. They were beaten down, exhausted, afraid, and trapped. They had no army. No power. No way out.
But Exodus 2:23–24 says, “The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out… God heard their groaning.”
God heard.
Before the Red Sea opened, God heard.
Before Pharaoh let them go, God heard.
Before Moses knew what to do, God heard.
That means their cries mattered to Him.
And so do yours.
We all go through hard things. Sometimes we feel scared. Sometimes we feel hurt. Sometimes we feel alone. Sometimes we do not know what to do next.
In those moments, it is easy to wonder, God, where are You? Do You even hear me?
But the story of Exodus reminds us that God is not distant. He is not ignoring us. He is not too busy for us.
God hears His children when they cry.
Isaiah 43:1–2 says, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”
Notice what God does not say.
He does not say, “You will never pass through deep waters.”
He does not say, “You will never feel afraid.”
He does not say, “Nothing hard will ever happen.”
He says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”
Are you scared tonight?
Are you hurting?
Are you carrying something heavy?
Are you wondering if anyone really knows what is going on inside your heart?
Cry out to God.
You do not have to use fancy words. You do not have to pretend to be stronger than you are. You do not have to hide.
God hears you.
God knows your name.
God is with you.
And you are not alone.
Questions to Talk About
Why do you think it matters that the Bible says, “God heard their cry,” before He rescued Israel from Egypt?
Have you ever had a time when you felt scared, hurt, or alone? What helped you get through it?
Isaiah 43 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” What does that promise mean to you?
What is one thing you want to talk to God about tonight?
Simple Prayer
God, thank You for hearing me when I cry out to You. Thank You for knowing my name and staying with me when life feels hard. Help me remember that I am never alone, because You are with me. Amen.
