“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you,” (I Peter 5:7).
Sometimes I wonder if we, as Christ-followers, don’t, occasionally at least, take our Father for granted.
God has shared with us, through His Word, so much about how He loves us (John 3:16; I John 4:19; Romans 8:35-39); how He works in and through our lives to make us more like Jesus (Romans 8:28-29); and, simultaneously, works in the lives of others we rub shoulders with through our testimony — and visa versa (II Corinthians 1:4). We learn that no matter what happens in this world, how desperate the circumstances, not only is our Father in control (Psalm 22:28, 103:19); but He has already overcome the world (John 16:33)!
His promise to His children is that He will never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), that He’ll always be with us (Matthew 28:20). Jesus wants us with Him forever, He says, so He’s gone to prepare a very special place for us in His Father’s house (John 14:1-2) and He has promised that when all is in readiness, He will come and get us and take us there (John 14:3).
Scripture says that though the wicked of this world scheme against those who live just and godly lives, our Father is so mighty that He just looks at them and laughs (Psalm 37:13; 2:1-4), because one day He will judge them; they will see that all they thought they got away with was done under the watchful eye of the great God of the universe and they will be held accountable. It also says that He is so intimately concerned for us that He directs our very steps and that when we fall, He pulls us up so we can keep going (Psalm 37:23-24).
He says He is for us, i.e., on our side (Romans 8:31). He calls us His adopted children (Romans 8:15-16) and joint-heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). Joint-heirs of what? Oh, you know . . . the universe (Hebrews 1:2).
He encourages us to lay all our heartaches, burdens and cares at His feet. Why? Because He cares about us (I Peter 5:7). You think? I could go on and on and on showing how much our God and Father cares about us. I’m having fun, and I’m just getting warmed up!
But what if He didn’t care? Then none of the things I’ve mentioned would be true.
Can you imagine reversing all those blessings we enjoy because God actually does care about us? Loves us? Wants us with Him forever? See how it is or could be easy for us to take our Father, His presence and His love for granted? He lavishes us with His love in so many ways and too often, I think, that love is assumed rather than appreciated.
What if God didn’t care? Oh, but praise His name, He does!!! His Word says so, and many of us can testify to His personal care in each of our lives.
Today I invite you to share with others who will read this post just one way you have recently experienced God’s love for you, personally. It isn’t hard. He shows His love for us in amazing and prolific ways, sometimes bombastically, but most often in quiet whispers in our life that other people might not even notice. What’s your experience?