God's care for you goes deeper than your comfort zones. Ask God to remind you of his care for you. Put all your concerns onto the shoulders of the one who gave his life for you.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and you know I always turn to hymns for comfort, and here is a song that really comforts.
(Joni sings:)
A wonderful savior is Jesus my Lord
A wonderful savior to me
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
Where rivers of pleasure I see
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land
He hideth my soul in the depths of His love
And carries me there with His hand
And carries me there with His hand
Like I said, that’s a comforting hymn. To me it paints such a warm and inviting picture of Jesus as our comforter who genuinely cares. Just like 1 Peter 5:7; “Cast all your anxiety on him [on Jesus] because he cares for you.”
You know, some Christians insist that God cares so much for us that he would never want any hurt or heartache to touch us. “Why, if we really trusted him,” these friends in Christ will say, “God would go to any length to release us from pain.” But is this so? While no one is saying God enjoys watching us struggle, Scripture shows that God has absolutely no qualms about allowing suffering to wound us, and to wound us badly. But that doesn’t mean he no longer cares. God certainly cared for Timothy, who struggled with frequent illness. He cared for James, who was run through with Herod's sword. He cared for John, exiled on a lonely island in his old age. And he cared for Stephen, even though he was dragged away from the synagogue and stoned.
God cared about Paul. He told him in his prison cell – Acts 23:11; “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” With that, I'm sure Paul cast all his anxiety on the Lord. After all, he heard directly from the Lord that he has got to go to Rome. Finally, Paul would be free of all the harassment from the Sanhedrin; all the death threats, the plots to kill him. He was going to Rome! Yet Paul remained in custody for at least two more years. Think of that: two long years under house arrest after the Lord appeared and told him he was being sent to Rome. Did God stop caring in those two years? Of course not. God answered his servant's prayer by giving him the kind of peace that allowed him to write in Philippians 4:12; “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
Friend, God's care for you goes deeper than your comfort zones. The focus of God's care is your soul. And the expression of his care will be in your peace and contentment. It's a beautiful promise that reminds you of God's concern whether you're sick for weeks, bedridden for months, or struggling within your marriage for years. Grab hold of that truth and hang on, no matter what.
In the middle of your cares, ask God to remind you of his care for you. Picture yourself casting all your concerns onto the shoulders of the one who gave his life for you. Cast your cares, one anxiety at a time and know that he cares for you.
© Joni and Friends