The Lord Takes Care of His People

“He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:3-4)
 
There is a difference between trouble and tragedy. Trouble seems to be everywhere you look. We see it in the unrestrained pandemic, in the falling economy with so many who have lost their jobs or have had their businesses fail, in racial injustice, and in deep political divisions. After plainly telling His disciples they would be scattered, each to his own home, Jesus told His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
 
Tragedy, on the other hand, is something so severe that it could destroy you. Albert Schweitzer once said, “the tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives.” For the Christian, the death of hope in God would indeed be a tragedy. Fortunately, God will not permit that to happen to a regenerated person—a child of God. 
 
Our God takes care of us. While He may permit troubles to surround us from time to time, we know He has a good, though sometimes perplexing, purpose for everything He allows to enter into our lives. Without trouble, who would cry out to their God to be rescued -- and in experiencing God’s faithful deliverance, praise Him out of a full heart?  And who would be uplifted by the rich testimony of God’s powerful victory through another person’s trouble? 
 
God is never left unaware of our difficulties, and He is always in full control. He is never asleep to our needs, both large and small. As we react to life’s adversity and make our choices, our failures and successes serve to build our faith in God. We learn through our failures and are reinforced by our successes. 
 
Since we are His children, who belong to Him forever, we have His irrevocable gift. 
 
“ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:6-9)
 
With the light God has given you, will you let it shine for all to see the glory of our great and awesome God?

By Jim Connell