Tuesday-March 31-Genesis 28-Paul David Tripp

As God’s child, there’s never a moment when you’re not under God’s care, never a time when you’re not the object of his love.

The big question is not, does God care for me? The Bible declares he does over and over again. It tells us that God’s eyes are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers (Ps. 34:15). It says that he is with us wherever we go (Gen. 28:15). The Bible welcomes us to bring our cares to God because he cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7). It tells us that he will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). The message is clear and consistent—God cares for his own. If you are God’s child, you are never outside the scope of his constant care. The Bible is also clear and consistent when it talks of the unshakability of God’s love. His love is eternal. From the verse-by-verse refrain of Psalm 136, “for his steadfast love endures forever,” to Paul’s declaration in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the “love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 39), the message is undebatable—God will never turn from the love he has lavished on us.

So if you’re God’s child, you’re wasting your spiritual time and energy worrying about God’s love. You’re not spending your time well if you’re trying to unpack little moments in your life to see if they are an indication of whether he loves you. It’s not wise to compare your life to another person’s, wondering what the evidence tells you about who God cares for the most. It is tempting to do all of these things, particularly when life is hard, when unpredictable and difficult things have entered your door. But questioning God’s love never goes anywhere good. When you are tempted to do so, you need to run to his Word for peace and reassurance. You’ll never establish personal peace by picking apart little moments and trying to look into the mysteries of life. The Bible was given to give you peace in those moments when it’s hard to figure out what in the world God is doing.

Something else needs to be said. If the big question isn’t whether God cares, then maybe the real question, one that is more practical to us all, is, will I recognize God’s care when it comes? Perhaps our problem is our definition and expectation of God’s care. You see, God’s care comes in a variety of packages. His care is not always a cool drink and a soft pillow. God’s care is not always relief from circumstances, release from trouble. There are many moments in our lives when the very thing that causes us to wonder about God’s care is his care. He knows that trouble will reveal our hearts or display his glory. Often trouble is a tool of care in the hands of the One who knows best what we need. He cares; therefore, make sure your definition of his care is not too narrow.