Can We Trust God to Really Care?
On the journey up to the Feast of Tabernacles, travellers could face many hardships. They may also have been concerned about the safety of those left behind. Yet those who would trust God to really care were heartened by the assurance in the Psalms of ascent. “The Lord will preserve you from all evil…” In our age of doubt and disbelief do we as Christians truly rely on God’s loving care. Do we trust God to really care about our needs? Is he invested in his creation?
Why Does God Care?
Job, in the midst of his suffering, began to wonder if God cared. He felt he was being examined, tried, and tested and he could not see God’s purpose in his suffering. Many people experience this angst, this fear that God’s care is not for them. Do we share the viewpoint of Eliphaz, Job’s friend? He declared, ““What is man, that he could be pure?…If God puts no trust in His saints…
How much less man, who is abominable and filthy…” But Eliphaz was wrong. He didn’t understand why people are important to God. Eliphaz didn’t understand that God has a great purpose in creating human beings. They were to be created “in our image and likeness” after the God-kind.
Son’s of One Father
Jesus confirmed this purpose during his ministry, claiming that he had come into the world to “declare the Father’s name to his brethren.” Jesus was willing to sacrifice himself, to overcome death, to free “his brethren.” He was willing to experience human life and suffering in order to minister to the children that the Father had put in his care. God cares about us because we are his family. This is his unchangeable purpose and this gives us hope. We can trust God to really care, because he loves us. In his love he has made it possible for us to share his nature.
Moving Beyond Trust
God is a Father who loves his children. Knowing that we can trust God to really care, for he is worthy of trust, and will keep his promises. We need to ask ourselves some questions. Do we live our life with a clear vision of God’s promises? Are our lives anchored securely to God. Do God’s laws and values inform our hearts and minds? Are we acting faithfully as Abraham did in accordance with God’s instructions? And, do we look to God for the strength to walk with him? Reflecting seriously on these questions will help us move forward on the path to achieving God’s purpose in our lives.
