He puts a finger upon the scar!

(Thomas Watson)

"Our Father in Heaven." Matthew 6:9

Since God is our Father-He will take notice of the least good He sees in His children.

If there is but a sigh for sin-He hears it.
"My groaning is not hidden from You." Psalm 38:9

If there is but a penitential tear which comes out of the eye-He sees it.
"I have seen your tears." Isaiah 38:5

If there is but a good intention-He takes notice of it.
"Since it was your desire to build a temple for My name, you have done well to have this desire." 1 Kings 8:18

God takes notice of the least spark of grace in His children. "Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord." 1 Peter 3:6. The Holy Spirit does not mention Sara's unbelief, or laughing at the promise. He puts a finger upon the scar-and only takes notice of the good that was in her.

More, that good which the saints scarcely take notice of in themselves, God in a special manner observes. "I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink. Then the righteous will answer Him-Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?" They as it were, overlooked and disclaimed their own works of charity! But Christ takes notice of them, "I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat." Matthew 25

What comfort is this! God spies the least good in His children!
He can see a grain of corn, hidden under much chaff.
He can see a little grace, hidden under much corruption!

Those duties which we ourselves censure-He will crown. When a child of God looks over his best duties, he sees so much sin cleaving to them that he is confounded. "Lord," he says, "there is more sulphur than incense, in my prayers."

But for your comfort, if God is your Father, He will crown those duties which you yourselves censure. He sees there is sincerity in the hearts of His children. Though there may be many defects in the services of His children, He will not cast away their offering.

An earthly father kindly receives a letter from his young child-though there are blots and bad spelling in it. What blottings are there in our holy things! Yet our Father in Heaven accepts them. "It is my child!" God says, "I will look upon him, through Christ-with a merciful eye!"