Does God Care?

Does God Care? - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com We live in very trying times. I admit that sometimes I get overwhelmed by what I see and hear on the news. Everything is bad and nothing is good. Doom and gloom. The heartsof men have grown cold, violence is everywhere, and evil is made to seem good. Many people blame God for all of this and question if He even cares. Does He care? The answer is in Scripture. Yes. God cares more than we can even imagine. Christians just mightsee God's love clearly if we stop focusing on the mega-media, left-wing lies and start looking at Scripture. How did people like Noah cope? He lived at a time when pure evil was all around, but instead of focusing on that evil he obeyed God and built the Ark.Because he was obedient to God, he and his family were protected through God's judgment. We can also look to the many prophets who lived in violent times but obediently served God and spoke His truth even if it caused them to suffer. Those brave and God-fearingmen didn't have CNN or MS-NBC to tell them what to think, so it was easier to hear God's voice. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of some facts. God saw the future and gave prophecy so we can understand what's happening. Man's sin and Satan's lies causethe evil, but God's love brings forgiveness. If we look to Him, we will find peace. God created everything, and all of creation is evidence of His love. "[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shewethhis handywork." Psalm 19:1. King David is an example of a man who saw God's glory and praised Him instead of seeing the troubles around and becoming discouraged. When David was young, he spent many hours tending sheep. This gave him time to observe God's creation. David was overwhelmed that God created such magnificent beauty. Tryto imagine looking up into the night sky and seeing the stars twinkling. There was no light pollution nor air pollution to hide their brilliance as David looked into the heavens. The fresh light of dawn was glorious without chem-trails covering the glow andthe setting sun had its own beauty. He praised God for His creation. David had a gift of song and he wrote of the beauty he saw. "[[To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.]] O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hastset thy glory above the heavens." Psalm 8:1. English translations of Hebrew words don't always make the meaning clear. The word LORD is from the Hebrew word "Yehovah" and means "the existing One". It's considered the proper name of God Almighty. The secondword translated Lord, is 'adown and can mean a strong master or king, but we know refers to God because it follows Yehovah. Essentially, David is saying "Yehovah our Master, how great and majestic is Your name everywhere!". If we would be mindful of His glorywhich can be seen everywhere, we would understand how much He cares. David recognized that it isn't always the big, mighty people who make grand declarations of God, but even a child can bring us strength in the face of adversity. "Out ofthe mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." Psalm 8:2. Babies are the epitome of innocence and weakness. We are like those "babes and sucklings" when it comes tothe spiritual battle against our adversary...Satan. With Christ we are able to stand against that evil with no fear. We need to understand that. When fear threatens to take our joy away, if we just take time to see God's glory in everything, our spirit willbe strengthened, and joy of the Lord will be restored. God cares enough to be our strength and shield. With all the evidence of God's might and majesty to be seen in the heavens and the earth, it's a bit intimidating to think that He also created man. Adam was created inGod's own image. "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than theangels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." Psalm 8:3-5. We read the creation account in Genesis, and it seems as if it took very little effort to create the splendor we see today. "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day,and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also." Genesis 1:16. Almost as an afterthought it's mentioned that He made the stars! Scientists are just recently discovering how many stars and galaxies there are. Although David couldn't see as faras the Hubble Telescope can, he was overwhelmed by the beauty he could see. No wonder David felt insignificant and wondered how God could even be mindful of sinners such as we humans. Even more amazing is that God did visit us in the form of Jesus Christ."And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14. If God didn't care He would have left us to our sin, but He chose to humbly dwell among us and showus the way to salvation. He chose to sacrifice His life to purchase our salvation. He is the only way to eternal life. Not only does God care about mankind, but He has entrusted us with the care of His creation. "Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast putall things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas." Psalm 8:6-8. We are to care for the environment and the animals, but we aren'tto worship the creation. We are only to worship God Almighty. The troubles in this world happen because people have stopped worshipping and honoring the Creator and worship the creation instead. That leads to unbounded sin. We see that sin unfolding today.Brothers and sisters, don't be led astray by what you see on the news. Every life matters to God and He gave His life for every person who has ever lived. Bow before Him only. "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and everytongue shall confess to God." Romans 14:11. Paul quoted that from Isaiah 45:23 and it's still true today. Humbly bow before the Lord God Almighty, the Creator and Saviour. He cares about you and me and is worthy of all our praise. David ends this Psalm of wonder and praise by once again focusing upon God and who He is. "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:9. "Yehovahour Master, how great and majestic is Your name everywhere!". We need to have reverence for Jesus and marvel at the wonders He made. More than that, we need to marvel at the salvation He offers. He humbled Himself and left the Heavenly realm to enter thisfallen world. Why? To save mankind from certain eternal death. Faith in Him is the only way to gain eternal life. "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hathhighly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, tothe glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:8-11. God cares about you. He cares more than any human can fully understand. God Himself humbled Himself to become human and He sacrificed His life on the cross. That's more than caring, that's pure and perfectlove. Yes, God does care. When Adam sinned, there was a vast gulf created between God and humans. God had a plan to bridge that gulf. "For God so loved the world, that he gavehis only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. Do you believe in Him? If not, why? He loves you and gave His life to purchase your salvation. Without faith in Him now, there will be no eternallife for you when you die. Prophecy tells us that life as we know it is about to come to an end. Christians will soon be Raptured and after that there will be hatred and violence on earth like never seen before. Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrectionof Jesus Christ will allow you to escape that final seven-year time period. If you haven't accepted His free gift of salvation, then you need to do that today. If you have, then you need to care enough about Him to live your life to honor Him. Instead of letting fear guide you and cause you to be angry with God because you think He doesn't care, think again. God cares....do you? God bless you all, Nathele Graham