A God That Cares

As we read passages like the one found in John 3:16 about the tremendous love of God, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,” we see a God who cares. We read of a God who is willing to sacrifice the very Jewel of heaven in order to bring back the opportunity for man to have fellowship with Him. We look at such love as this, such love as is not seen in this world of self-centered and self-seeking emotionalism, and we truly see the reason behind the question posed in Psalm 8:4 by David, “What is man that You are mindful of him?” Knowing in our best of efforts we still fall short of such wonderful love, it humbles us and challenges us to true faith in Jesus Christ.

But then we turn and see the pains of life. We turn and see our friends and our families and even ourselves in times of despair, in times of unquestionable and seemingly unquenchable heartache and then the question sometimes creeps up, “Does God care?”

Too many times the pains of life have pulled children of God away from their faith and their hope. They begin to doubt whether God really cares about the struggles they are facing. Such doubt even showed itself in the apostles as they were being tossed around on the Sea of Galilee. You remember as evening came and they set out to cross the sea that trouble soon was upon them. The text in Mark chapter 4:35-39 tells us a great windstorm had arisen. The text goes on to tell us that though the boat was being tossed about and was already taking on water, Jesus was still asleep in the stern. They rush down to him and question Jesus, “Teacher do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38b). Many individuals, many Christians have felt the powerful winds and waves of the struggles and suffering that life brings, and like the disciples find themselves asking much the same questions.

The questions can be daunting at times. Why does one get sick while another does not? Why do the innocent suffer while the wicked prosper? Why is my heart breaking facing a loss while it seems my neighbor faces no such trauma?  It would serve us well to remember even in our struggles the words of God found in the pages of Isaiah. In Isaiah 55:9-10 God, speaking through the prophet says, “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.’” Though it will not take away the pain it might help to remember that God sees things from a “higher” view and an eternal perspective. Where we may see tragedy God may see glorious opportunity.

We may consider the record of Acts chapter 7 and one faithful martyr by the name of Stephen. No doubt it was a moment of great tragedy. Stephen’s friends and family must have faced tremendous grief at the news of Stephen’s stoning. What did the Christian widows, who were at one time served by Stephen at Jerusalem, feel as they watched faithful men carry his body to be buried? The pain that must have been felt at the loss of Stephen’s life, yet God used this tragedy as a glorious opportunity. His people grew stronger and grew closer together. In Acts chapter 8 we read of the persecution that scattered the saints. Again we see in the midst of suffering and persecution that God was working things to His glory as we see the Gospel of Jesus taken beyond the borders of Judea.

My thoughts drift back to the scriptures as Jesus, knowing his friend Lazarus had passed on, drew near to Martha and then to Mary. In the event recorded for us in John 11, Martha and Mary both make the same proclamation. They cry out to Jesus that if He had only been there, if He had only came sooner, their brother would not have died. As we know Jesus wept. He wept as he shared in the pain of those dear to Him, but He understood God’s will in the matter was not for Him to come sooner. The death of Lazarus came that the power of God might be revealed. In the tragedy Mary and Martha were facing, God was working to reveal His power and glory to the world.

Jesus spoke about a direct purpose in the suffering Mary and Martha were facing, that is, that the power of God would be revealed through the resurrection of Lazarus. Yet in our lives, struggles and suffering do not always come with an explanation of why or for what purpose they have fallen at our feet. Often struggles and even suffering are simply part of life in a world cursed and a world where the majority of its citizens are enslaved in sin. We may not know why God has allowed us to be tried, but we do know that He intends to work good even from the pains of those experiences. Peter said, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

God’s will may not always be for all those who become ill to become well again and it may be that not every trial we face will end the way we had hoped. It is in these trying times that we need to look towards God, towards Jesus our High priest, for the strength and courage to make it through. We need to heed the counsel of the Hebrew writer, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted aswe are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16). He cares what we are going through and is working things out for our benefit through His providence as Paul reminds us, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Not a single tear that falls on the cheek goes uncounted or unnoticed. The psalmist wrote, “You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8)

 One day this old world of struggle, this old world of pain, this old world of trials shall be no more. One day we will see our Savior face to face. One day, if we have been found faithful, we will see that heaven is truly worth it all!