Constant Care

This chapter title is a lot like the last one,. Rather than phrased in a negative, "never forsaken", it is the positive statement, "constant care". Naturally, if God loves us, and He never forsakes us, He would care. I think about the three meals I had today. I think about the sunshine outside. I think of the roof over my head. I think we take the fact of God's care for granted just like we take the care of our parents for granted when we are little. It is expected. I expected breakfast on the table when I woke up for school. I expected dinner in the evening when I came home from school. It is often when the unexpected happens, then we realize the care is a gift. I took running, climbing, and jumping for granted prior to my joint condition. Now, I can do none of those things. The absence of health causes me to realize health is a gift.

Wiersbe (1987) begins with a poem his friend sent him. It is simple but really true.

Yesterday God helped me,

Today He'll do the same.

How long will this continue?

Forever--praise His name!

I especially like the last line. God helps us forever and forever shall we praise His name.

This concept is Biblical. David wrote in Psalm 54:4, "Behold, God is mine helper"!

Wiersbe goes on to say that we are often prone to forget. There is a truth that I once heard that is repeated in this chapter. We forget the things we should remember and remember the things we should forget. For example, in my own life, I sometimes remember my failures and though it is true we learn from our failures, it is not helpful to dwell on them. God can transform and empower us to do the tasks in front of us despite past failures.

"Remembering God's loving care is the central theme of the Book of Deuteronomy. Moses is preparing the nation of Israel to go into the Promised Land. How does he do it? He reminds them that for forty years God has taken care of them and that God's care is not going to stop when they cross the river. Moses said, "Thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee .... " (Deut. 8:2). You were hungry, and God gave you food. You were thirsty, and God gave you water. You were attacked by the enemy, and God gave you victory. You sinned, and God gave you forgiveness. There was no situation too hard for God." (p. 31)

The people of God were in total dependence on God for those forty years in the wilderness. He provided for them physically and spiritually. Yet often in that journey they would forget God's past provision. God watched over them and cared for their every need. Wiersbe proposes that we need to erect a memorial just like Samuel did and called it "Ebenezer--thus far the Lord has helped us." We do not know what happens tomorrow. We can be sure of this, God will care for us then as He does for us up to this point.

God's promise that He never leaves us or forsakes us is for sure. Wiersbe talks about the three Hebrew children in Babylon who went through the fire and yet God made sure that they were not harmed. And, in the gospels, the disciples were safe in the storm. No, God did not provide a storm free journey,. Storms came and were so dangerous as to frighten seasoned fishermen, but Jesus brings us through the storms.

"The enemy wants us to think that God doesn't care, or that God has forsaken us. When the going gets tough, the enemy says, "If God really loved you, this wouldn't have happened." How many times in pain or sorrow Satan has tried to cast doubts on the love and faithfulness of God. Somehow we have the idea that when life is easy, God is with us; but when life is hard, God has forsaken us--and just the opposite might be true. Too often when life is easy we forget God and start to depend on our own wisdom and strength. It is when the going is hard that we really know how close God is to His needy children." (p. 32).

You know, this is my struggle. This is my struggle right now. My joint condition, my joblessness, my desire for a life partner are constant concerns that God appears silent. Does God care is the lie of Satan that repeats day after day. It is in the pain and difficulty when God seems to not care but it is when life is good that God really seems loving. The challenge is finding God in these tough moments.

Wiersbe says that Jesus did the most difficult thing that is saving our souls from judgment and dying on the cross. If Jesus can do the most difficult thing, He surely can do less difficult things in our daily life. Wiersbe challenges us to rest in Him:

"Often my ministry takes me to other cities. Once I board a jet and get into my seat and fasten the seat belt, I just relax and turn the whole trip over to God and the crew. I don't try to fly the plane. All of my worrying and fretting will never change one rivet or one bolt in that airplane. Life is like this. You have trusted Christ as your Savior, and you belong to Him, Just rest in Him. Don't try to fly the plane--just yield to Christ and let His loving care overshadow you.

After all, God cannot afford to fail us. If He fails, then every, thing in this universe falls to pieces. God must be true to Himself and true to His Word. God cannot lie. His promises are sure and steadfast. If God once failed to care for one of His children, He would lose far more than e would. His we character is at stake! He has promised to care for us, and if He doesn't keep His promise, then He has ceased to be God. You can be sure that this will never happen.

Those times when we thought God had failed us turned out to be times when He was working in a wonderful way on our behalf.

Jacob thought that Joseph was dead, when all the time Joseph was preparing him a home in Egypt. "All these things are against me!" mourned Jacob, when really everything was working together for his good." (pp. 33-34)

Prayer:

Father, what a reminder of Jacob's cry to you. All these things are against me. We can list them. We can list all our problems. My health situation, job situation, longing for a wife and children, desire for leaving behind a spiritual legacy, all these concerns seemingly unfulfilled and and growing dim. Yet You remind us that You care for us at all times. In our darkest moments, You are working something out far better than we can realize. There is a danger in our dark moments when Satan whispers lies about Your goodness. Remind us I pray that You are still God and that You still care even though there appears to be no evidence of it.