The image chosen to portray the care of the Lord is the love of a woman for her young child, a bond that human populations understand very well. It is interesting that this understanding is greater for the women because they experience it, and the men only observe. With the penchant of the ancient scriptures to focus on males rather than females, perhaps there is an extra message in this image. The problem Israel (and Laman and Lemuel) have is that they are not experiencing the love of the Lord. The image provided to show that the care is there is one they cannot deny, but is yet an evidence they do not directly feel. Maybe this removal of the image from active experience to evidentiary experience is yet another reason why this image is chosen - the Lord is emphasizing the fact that the long term evidence would show the love of the Lord, even if they were not currently feeling it.