Does God care? By Marilyn Adamson
To what degree can we rely on God to help
us? Is He really someone we can turn to at
all...in times of crisis as well as times of
calm?
Who is God?
God is the Creator of the universe who
yearns for us to know Him. That is why we
are all here. It is His desire that we rely on
and experience His strength, love, justice,
holiness and compassion. So He says to all
who are willing, "Come to Me."
Unlike us, God knows what will happen
tomorrow, next week, next year, the next
decade. He says, "I am God, and there is no
one like me, declaring the end from the
beginning." 1 He knows what will happen in
the world. More importantly, He knows
what will occur in your life and can be there
for you, if you've chosen to include Him in
your life. He tells us that He can be "our
refuge and strength, an ever-present help in
times of trouble." 2 But we must make a
sincere effort to seek Him. He says, "you
will seek Me and find Me, when you search
for Me with all your heart." 3
Where Is God in Difficult Times?
That doesn't
mean that
those who
know God will
escape
difficult
times. They
won't. When a
terrorist
attack causes
suffering and death, those who know God
will be involved in that suffering also. But
there is a peace and a strength that God's
presence gives. One follower of Jesus Christ
put it this way: "We are hard pressed on
every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but
not in despair; persecuted, but not
abandoned; struck down, but not
destroyed." 4 Reality tells us that we will
experience problems in life. However, if we
go through them while knowing God, we can
react to them with a different perspective
and with a strength that is not our own. No
problem has the capacity to be
insurmountable to God. He is bigger than
all the problems that can hit us, and we are
not left alone to deal with them.
God's Word tells us, "The Lord is good, a
refuge in times of trouble. He cares for
those who trust in him." 5 And, "The Lord is
near to all who call on him, to all who call
on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of
those who fear him; he hears their cry and
saves them." 6
Jesus Christ told His followers these
comforting words: "Are not two sparrows
sold for a cent? And yet not one of them
will fall to the ground apart from your
Father. But the very hairs of your head are
all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you
are of more value than many sparrows." 7 If
you truly turn to God, He will care for you
as no one else does, and in a way that no
one else can.
God and Our Free Will
God has created humanity with the ability
to choose. This means that we are not
forced into a relationship with Him. He
allows us to reject Him and to commit other
evil acts as well. He could force us to be
loving. He could force us to be good. But
then what kind of relationship would we
have with Him? It would not be a
relationship at all, but a forced, absolutely
controlled obedience. Instead He gave us
the human dignity of free will.
Naturally, we cry from the depths of our
souls..."But God, how could You let
something of this magnitude happen?"
How would we want God to act? Do we
want Him to control the actions of people?
In the case of dealing with a terrorist
attack, what could possibly be an
acceptable number of deaths for God to
allow?! Would we feel better if God allowed
only the murder of hundreds? Would we
rather God allowed only the death of one
person? Yet if God would prevent the
murder of even one person, there is no
longer freedom to choose. People choose to
ignore God, to defy God, to go their own
way and commit horrible acts against
others.
This planet is
not a safe
place.
Someone
might shoot
us. Or we
might be hit
by a car. Or
we might
have to jump
from a building attacked by terrorists. Or
any number of things that might happen to
us in this harsh environment called Earth,
the place where God's will is not always
followed. Yet, God is not at the mercy of
people, but the other way around. We are at
His mercy, fortunately. This is God who
created the universe with its uncountable
stars, simply by speaking the words, "Let
there be lights in the expanse of the sky." 8
This is God who says He "reigns over the
nations." 9 He is unlimited in power and
wisdom. Though problems seem
insurmountable to us, we have an incredibly
capable God who reminds us, "Behold, I am
the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything
too hard for Me?" 10 Somehow He is able to
maintain the freedom of sinful humans, yet
still bring about His will. God clearly says,
"My counsel shall stand, and I will
accomplish all My purpose." 11 And we can
draw comfort from that if our lives are
submitted to Him. "For God opposes the
proud, but gives grace to the humble." 12
Where Is God When We Reject Him?
Many of us -- no, all of us -- choose at
times to stiff-arm God and His ways.
Compared to others, certainly compared to
a terrorist, we might consider ourselves to
be respectable, loving people. But in the
raw honesty of our own hearts, if we were
to face God, it would be with the knowledge
of our sin. As we begin to address God in
prayer, are we not caught short, paused by
the sense that God is well aware of our
thoughts, actions and self-centeredness?
We have...by our lives and
actions...distanced ourselves from God. We
have often lived like we could run our lives
just fine without Him. The Bible says that
"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each
of us has turned to his own way." 13
The consequences? Our sin has separated
us from God, and it affects more than this
life. The penalty for our sin is death, or
eternal separation from God. However, God
has provided a way for us to be forgiven
and know Him.
God Offers Us His Love
God came to earth to rescue us. "For God
so loved the world, that he sent his only
Son, that whoever believes in him should
not perish, but have eternal life. For God
sent the Son into the world, not to condemn
the world, but that the world might be
saved through him." 14
God knows
the pain and
suffering we
encounter in
this world.
Jesus left the
safety and
security of
His home,
and entered
the hard environment we live in. Jesus got
tired, knew hunger and thirst, battled
accusations from others and was ostracized
by family and friends. But Jesus
experienced far more than daily hardships.
Jesus, the Son of God in human form,
willingly took all of our sin on Himself and
paid our penalty of death. "In this is love,
that he laid down his life for us." 15 He
went through torture, dying a slow,
humiliating death of suffocation on a cross,
so that we could be forgiven.
Jesus told others ahead of time that He
would be crucified. He said that three days
after His death He would come back to life,
proving that He is God. He didn't say He
would reincarnate someday. (Who would
know if He actually did it?) He said three
days after being buried He would show
Himself physically alive to those who saw
His crucifixion. On that third day, Jesus'
tomb was found empty and many people
testified to seeing Him alive.
God Invites Us To Be With Him In Heaven
He now offers us eternal life. We don't earn
this. It is a gift from God offered to us,
which we receive when we ask Him to enter
our lives. "The gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus." 16 If we repent of our sin and
turn back to God, we can have the gift of
eternal life through Jesus Christ. It's pretty
simple. "God has given us eternal life, and
this life is in his Son. He who has the Son
has life; he who does not have the Son of
God does not have life." 17 He wants to
enter our lives.
What about heaven? The Bible says that
God has "set eternity in the hearts of
men." 18 Maybe that means we know, in our
hearts, what a better world would look like.
The death of people we love convinces us
that there's something very wrong with this
life and this world. Somewhere deep down
in our souls, we know that there must be a
much better place to live, free from heart-
wrenching difficulties and pain. To be sure,
God does have a better place He offers us.
It will be a completely different system in
which His will is done all the time. In this
world, God will wipe every tear from
people's eyes. There will be no more
mourning, crying, death or pain. 19 And God,
by His Spirit, will dwell in people in such a
way that they will never sin again.20
The events of a terrorist attack are horrific
enough. Refusing an eternal relationship
with God, which Jesus offers you, would be
worse. Not just in light of eternal life, but
there is no relationship which compares to
knowing God in this life. He is our purpose
in life, our source of comfort, our wisdom in
confusing times, our strength and hope.
"Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in
him." 21
It has been said by some that God is just a
crutch. But it is likely that He is the only
reliable one.
Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my
peace I give to you; not as the world gives
do I give to you. Let not your hearts be
troubled, neither let them be afraid." 22 For
those who will rely on Jesus during their
lives, He says it is like building your life on
a Rock. Whatever crises attack you in this
life, He can keep you strong.
Where is God? He Can Come Into Your Life
You can receive Jesus into your life right
now. "To all who received Him, to those
who believed in His name, He gave the right
to become children of God." 23 It is through
Jesus Christ that we can come back to God.
Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth,
and the life; no one comes to the Father,
but through Me." 24 Jesus offered, "Behold,
I stand at the door and knock; if anyone
hears My voice and opens the door, I will
come in to him." 25
Right now you
can ask God
to enter your
life. You can
do this
through
prayer.Prayer
means talking
honestly with
God. At this
moment you can call out to God by telling
Him something like this in sincerity:
"God, I have turned away from You in my heart,
but I want to change that. I want to know You. I
want to receive Jesus Christ and His
forgiveness into my life. I don't want to be
separated from You anymore. Be the God of
my life from this day onward. Thank you God."
Have you just now sincerely asked God into
your life? If you have, you have a lot to
look forward to. God promises to make your
present life one of greater satisfaction
through knowing Him. 26 Where is God? He
promises to make His home in you. 27 And
He gives you eternal life. 28
No matter what happens in the world
around you, God can be there for you.
Though people do not follow God's ways,
God is able to take horrible circumstances
and bring about His plan anyway. God is
ultimately in control over world events. If
you are God's, then you can rest on the
promise that, "All things work together for
good for those who love God and are called
according to His purpose." 29
Jesus Christ said, "My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let
not your heart be troubled. In the world you
have tribulation, but take courage; I have
overcome the world." 30 He promises never
to fail us or forsake us. 31
us? Is He really someone we can turn to at
all...in times of crisis as well as times of
calm?
Who is God?
God is the Creator of the universe who
yearns for us to know Him. That is why we
are all here. It is His desire that we rely on
and experience His strength, love, justice,
holiness and compassion. So He says to all
who are willing, "Come to Me."
Unlike us, God knows what will happen
tomorrow, next week, next year, the next
decade. He says, "I am God, and there is no
one like me, declaring the end from the
beginning." 1 He knows what will happen in
the world. More importantly, He knows
what will occur in your life and can be there
for you, if you've chosen to include Him in
your life. He tells us that He can be "our
refuge and strength, an ever-present help in
times of trouble." 2 But we must make a
sincere effort to seek Him. He says, "you
will seek Me and find Me, when you search
for Me with all your heart." 3
Where Is God in Difficult Times?
That doesn't
mean that
those who
know God will
escape
difficult
times. They
won't. When a
terrorist
attack causes
suffering and death, those who know God
will be involved in that suffering also. But
there is a peace and a strength that God's
presence gives. One follower of Jesus Christ
put it this way: "We are hard pressed on
every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but
not in despair; persecuted, but not
abandoned; struck down, but not
destroyed." 4 Reality tells us that we will
experience problems in life. However, if we
go through them while knowing God, we can
react to them with a different perspective
and with a strength that is not our own. No
problem has the capacity to be
insurmountable to God. He is bigger than
all the problems that can hit us, and we are
not left alone to deal with them.
God's Word tells us, "The Lord is good, a
refuge in times of trouble. He cares for
those who trust in him." 5 And, "The Lord is
near to all who call on him, to all who call
on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of
those who fear him; he hears their cry and
saves them." 6
Jesus Christ told His followers these
comforting words: "Are not two sparrows
sold for a cent? And yet not one of them
will fall to the ground apart from your
Father. But the very hairs of your head are
all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you
are of more value than many sparrows." 7 If
you truly turn to God, He will care for you
as no one else does, and in a way that no
one else can.
God and Our Free Will
God has created humanity with the ability
to choose. This means that we are not
forced into a relationship with Him. He
allows us to reject Him and to commit other
evil acts as well. He could force us to be
loving. He could force us to be good. But
then what kind of relationship would we
have with Him? It would not be a
relationship at all, but a forced, absolutely
controlled obedience. Instead He gave us
the human dignity of free will.
Naturally, we cry from the depths of our
souls..."But God, how could You let
something of this magnitude happen?"
How would we want God to act? Do we
want Him to control the actions of people?
In the case of dealing with a terrorist
attack, what could possibly be an
acceptable number of deaths for God to
allow?! Would we feel better if God allowed
only the murder of hundreds? Would we
rather God allowed only the death of one
person? Yet if God would prevent the
murder of even one person, there is no
longer freedom to choose. People choose to
ignore God, to defy God, to go their own
way and commit horrible acts against
others.
This planet is
not a safe
place.
Someone
might shoot
us. Or we
might be hit
by a car. Or
we might
have to jump
from a building attacked by terrorists. Or
any number of things that might happen to
us in this harsh environment called Earth,
the place where God's will is not always
followed. Yet, God is not at the mercy of
people, but the other way around. We are at
His mercy, fortunately. This is God who
created the universe with its uncountable
stars, simply by speaking the words, "Let
there be lights in the expanse of the sky." 8
This is God who says He "reigns over the
nations." 9 He is unlimited in power and
wisdom. Though problems seem
insurmountable to us, we have an incredibly
capable God who reminds us, "Behold, I am
the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything
too hard for Me?" 10 Somehow He is able to
maintain the freedom of sinful humans, yet
still bring about His will. God clearly says,
"My counsel shall stand, and I will
accomplish all My purpose." 11 And we can
draw comfort from that if our lives are
submitted to Him. "For God opposes the
proud, but gives grace to the humble." 12
Where Is God When We Reject Him?
Many of us -- no, all of us -- choose at
times to stiff-arm God and His ways.
Compared to others, certainly compared to
a terrorist, we might consider ourselves to
be respectable, loving people. But in the
raw honesty of our own hearts, if we were
to face God, it would be with the knowledge
of our sin. As we begin to address God in
prayer, are we not caught short, paused by
the sense that God is well aware of our
thoughts, actions and self-centeredness?
We have...by our lives and
actions...distanced ourselves from God. We
have often lived like we could run our lives
just fine without Him. The Bible says that
"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each
of us has turned to his own way." 13
The consequences? Our sin has separated
us from God, and it affects more than this
life. The penalty for our sin is death, or
eternal separation from God. However, God
has provided a way for us to be forgiven
and know Him.
God Offers Us His Love
God came to earth to rescue us. "For God
so loved the world, that he sent his only
Son, that whoever believes in him should
not perish, but have eternal life. For God
sent the Son into the world, not to condemn
the world, but that the world might be
saved through him." 14
God knows
the pain and
suffering we
encounter in
this world.
Jesus left the
safety and
security of
His home,
and entered
the hard environment we live in. Jesus got
tired, knew hunger and thirst, battled
accusations from others and was ostracized
by family and friends. But Jesus
experienced far more than daily hardships.
Jesus, the Son of God in human form,
willingly took all of our sin on Himself and
paid our penalty of death. "In this is love,
that he laid down his life for us." 15 He
went through torture, dying a slow,
humiliating death of suffocation on a cross,
so that we could be forgiven.
Jesus told others ahead of time that He
would be crucified. He said that three days
after His death He would come back to life,
proving that He is God. He didn't say He
would reincarnate someday. (Who would
know if He actually did it?) He said three
days after being buried He would show
Himself physically alive to those who saw
His crucifixion. On that third day, Jesus'
tomb was found empty and many people
testified to seeing Him alive.
God Invites Us To Be With Him In Heaven
He now offers us eternal life. We don't earn
this. It is a gift from God offered to us,
which we receive when we ask Him to enter
our lives. "The gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus." 16 If we repent of our sin and
turn back to God, we can have the gift of
eternal life through Jesus Christ. It's pretty
simple. "God has given us eternal life, and
this life is in his Son. He who has the Son
has life; he who does not have the Son of
God does not have life." 17 He wants to
enter our lives.
What about heaven? The Bible says that
God has "set eternity in the hearts of
men." 18 Maybe that means we know, in our
hearts, what a better world would look like.
The death of people we love convinces us
that there's something very wrong with this
life and this world. Somewhere deep down
in our souls, we know that there must be a
much better place to live, free from heart-
wrenching difficulties and pain. To be sure,
God does have a better place He offers us.
It will be a completely different system in
which His will is done all the time. In this
world, God will wipe every tear from
people's eyes. There will be no more
mourning, crying, death or pain. 19 And God,
by His Spirit, will dwell in people in such a
way that they will never sin again.20
The events of a terrorist attack are horrific
enough. Refusing an eternal relationship
with God, which Jesus offers you, would be
worse. Not just in light of eternal life, but
there is no relationship which compares to
knowing God in this life. He is our purpose
in life, our source of comfort, our wisdom in
confusing times, our strength and hope.
"Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in
him." 21
It has been said by some that God is just a
crutch. But it is likely that He is the only
reliable one.
Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my
peace I give to you; not as the world gives
do I give to you. Let not your hearts be
troubled, neither let them be afraid." 22 For
those who will rely on Jesus during their
lives, He says it is like building your life on
a Rock. Whatever crises attack you in this
life, He can keep you strong.
Where is God? He Can Come Into Your Life
You can receive Jesus into your life right
now. "To all who received Him, to those
who believed in His name, He gave the right
to become children of God." 23 It is through
Jesus Christ that we can come back to God.
Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth,
and the life; no one comes to the Father,
but through Me." 24 Jesus offered, "Behold,
I stand at the door and knock; if anyone
hears My voice and opens the door, I will
come in to him." 25
Right now you
can ask God
to enter your
life. You can
do this
through
prayer.Prayer
means talking
honestly with
God. At this
moment you can call out to God by telling
Him something like this in sincerity:
"God, I have turned away from You in my heart,
but I want to change that. I want to know You. I
want to receive Jesus Christ and His
forgiveness into my life. I don't want to be
separated from You anymore. Be the God of
my life from this day onward. Thank you God."
Have you just now sincerely asked God into
your life? If you have, you have a lot to
look forward to. God promises to make your
present life one of greater satisfaction
through knowing Him. 26 Where is God? He
promises to make His home in you. 27 And
He gives you eternal life. 28
No matter what happens in the world
around you, God can be there for you.
Though people do not follow God's ways,
God is able to take horrible circumstances
and bring about His plan anyway. God is
ultimately in control over world events. If
you are God's, then you can rest on the
promise that, "All things work together for
good for those who love God and are called
according to His purpose." 29
Jesus Christ said, "My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let
not your heart be troubled. In the world you
have tribulation, but take courage; I have
overcome the world." 30 He promises never
to fail us or forsake us. 31
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