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Our prayer list has grown longer and longer these days. Maybe not so much because there were no needs before, but because we recently decided to make a conscious effort to write prayer needs down and cross them off as God answers.
We look out over our church congregation, our friends, our families, even strangers that we hear about, and the weight of their need is heavy, suffocating. We live in a fallen world, and there is so much brokenness, so much sickness, so much pain.
The Bible tells us that as Christians, we will face many trials, because of our faith, because of our identifying ourselves with Christ, as He suffered while on earth. We know too, that for now, God has allowed Satan to move in our world, and that the hour has not yet come for Christ to reclaim His own. We know that while we're here, we'll face hurts, disease, failure, disappointment, suffering, and loss.
But does being told that it will happen ahead of time, make the pain less while you're going through it?
No. Suffering hurts, and no one likes it. It's hard to see someone you love going through something so difficult. It breaks our hearts, brings us to our knees, and often we'll cry out to our Holy God in Heaven, and watch helplessly, as He allows our loved ones to suffer.
Through this, some might get the wrong impression of God. Some might see Him as a God who doesn't care, or a bad God who won't see to reason, or a cruel God who won't intervene. All of these thoughts are lies, and not at all who God really is, but have you ever felt that? Have you ever allowed Satan to whisper to your heart: "Maybe your God just doesn't really care about you!"
I want to tell Satan today, that, yes, my God does care.
My God does care, and I know this, because I know Who God is. In light of our suffering, we must go back to scripture and focus on Who we know God to be. We must track His faithfulness through the generations, and hide His words in our heart, and meditate on His goodness…even when our hearts are broken.
My God is tender, and compassionate, and gentle. He is constant, and true, and present. He is good, and just, and merciful. And He loved this human race so much, that He came to earth, took on human flesh, was whipped, beaten, flogged, mocked, spit on, pierced, hung on a cross, had nails hammered through his wrists and ankles, suffocated, starved…and died. For us. For me. For you.
Do you know how much love that took? Can you comprehend how much love He has for you?
Oh, my friend, He sees you in your suffering. He knows your pain, and though it may hurt for a time, Christ took the ultimate pain, and suffered the ultimate death, so that ours would be momentary. He died so that our trial would end in victory, because death didn't hold Christ. He arose! And He's alive today so that you can live. And even though these days on earth may be hard, our future is secure in Heaven, because of what Christ did for us.
This is how much your God cares about you today. This is how much He loves you.
Today's verse from the Psalms has always been a favorite of mine. There's something about imagery in scripture that really tugs at my heart. I love the picture painted in my mind of God our Shepherd, caring for His sheep, I love the image of God as a gardener, caring for His plants, I love the image of God our Father, loving His children…these are beautiful illustrations that help us understand Who God is to us.
And this image, in Psalm 56:8, is another verse given to us, to help us see the true heart of our God.
The scripture says that God has kept record of our tears, and has collected them in a bottle, and written down our pain in His book.
Can't you just see God? Sitting there next to you on the couch as you cry, catching your tears in His gentle hands and saving them? That's how precious you are to God, even your fallen tears are saved. And not only that, but He writes down our sufferings, keeping track, not forgetting anything, nothing is too small to be documented, no, He records them all. He does this because we are important to Him, because He loves us, and enters into our pain with us.
This is how I know God cares about me. This is how I know He meets me in my pain, and hears me when I cry out.
He is The God Who collects our tears.
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My prayer for you today, is that you will open your heart to see, maybe for the first time, the true heart of God, and His love for you. I pray that you will reach out to Him with faith that tells you He's listening, with a heart seeking comfort, and find rest in Jesus. Whatever path you find yourself on today, know that God is there with you, and that you are precious to Him.
Thank you, Michelle!!!!!!
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