The Care of God
Read Time: 7 minutes
When I first started putting forth an effort to learn about God and realize what He is to us and what His son did for us I was truly humbled. I was in awe when I learned that we have been given power from on high--that we could talk with God. Jesus Christ bridged the gap and paid the price. Because of what Jesus Christ did--because he was obedient unto death--we can come to the Father. But, in reality I didn't want to bother God with my trivial requests. I thought He was awfully busy with very important things like wars and emergencies. I didn't want to bother Him with my small questions. Well, that was a deception from the pit of hell.
God has created the heavens and the earth for you and me--for His man. He sent us Jesus Christ the redeemer so that we could fellowship with him. He watched as His only begotten son was tortured, beaten and ridiculed and then hung on a cross. He watched as Jesus Christ-of his own free will-gave up the ghost for us so that we could be redeemed by the blood of the lamb; the lamb of God. He then, with joy, raised Christ Jesus from the dead. God--who is all love--knew you and I would believe and has provided for us (Matthew 6).
God is not like our earthly fathers. He is never too busy for us. Earthly fathers have limited resources of time, money and food (much to the dismay of many a teenager). But our God owns cattle (plural) on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10)--this is a multiplication issue here, and a figure of speech emphasizing His abundance. I don't need cattle (except in a processed form). What I need is my needs met. And He said he would take of that didn't He? (Philippians 4:19)
Well, one of my needs is to learn to listen to Him and walk with Him. When this was explained to me my heart melted. We have seen God work with Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samson, Ruth, Hannah, Saul, David, Solomon, Asa, Elijah, Jehoshaphat, Elisha and many others. These people were in the Old Testament times, before Jesus Christ redeemed man. They could only have the spirit of God on them conditionally. We have Christ in us the hope of Glory (Col 1:27). We cannot loose the seed God put in us--this token of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:31, 14)--it is incorruptible (I Peter 1:23). So, I need to learn to walk with Him. He is interested in everything that I do, know and need (I Corinthians 1:5, II Corinthians 9:8-12, Philippians 4:6).
I first began learning to walk with God by looking to Him for everything. This is something I still endeavor to do. I would go to the grocery store and God knows that I like the thin sweet carrots. I will look at a display of carrots and ask God which one. Now this seems trivial but is not God interested in blessing us--interested in us having the best? Well, I would look at that bunch until one in particular was focused upon. Sometimes I had to move the bunches until I was inspired to select one. If I was at peace and listening when I approached them carrots I got a nice bunch. If I was harried and in a hurry, I just got regular old carrots that were nothing to brag on. I have also walked away from them, I was never inspired to select one. I guess there just weren't any good ones there that day.
Going to God for those carrots helped me learn to stop and listen and trust that He is going to talk to me, trust that He will inspire me or show me things. One time when I was driving home from fellowship I was going to get into the left lane after passing an intersection when God showed me a car approaching on my left side in both of my mirrors at the same time. I immediately pulled back into my lane. A car had come out of that intersection and sped by me. Then I realized that I cannot physically see both mirrors at the same time; because I am short I sit rather forward in my car. God showed me that car speeding around the corner so that I would stay in my lane. That car would have hit my side of the car if I had continued changing lanes. God is ready willing and able to communicate with us if we are listening.
When I first read II Kings 6 I thought this was a rather trivial miracle and unnecessary because I hadn't realized that God is totally interested in me (and all His kids). Now I read it and it reminds me to be thankful to Him for all that I have and what He does for my family and me.
II Kings 6
:1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha,
Behold now, the place where we
dwell with thee is too strait for us.
The place was too small, too tight. This word is also used as 'enemy' and 'adversary'--interesting. Ever been in a situation where the living quarters were too tight? Then you empathize.
:2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan,
and take thence every man a beam,
and let us make us a place there,
where we may dwell.
And he [Elisha] answered,
Go ye.
:3 And one said,
Be content, I pray thee,
and go with thy servants.
And he [Elisha] answered,
I will go.
:4 So he [Elisha] went with them.
And when they came to Jordan,
they cut down wood.
:5 But as one was felling a beam,
the axe head fell into the water:
and he cried, and said,
Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
:6 And the man of God said,
Where fell it?
And he shewed him the place.
And he cut down a stick,
and cast it in thither;
and the iron did swim.
:7 Therefore said he,
Take it up to thee.
And he put out his hand,
and took it.
God told or inspired Elisha to poke that stick in that muddy Jordan at precisely the right point so as to put it right into the hole of that axe head and lift it out of the water. Now what are the odds of that? He must have had some divine help. That man could have walked into the river and felt around until he located the axe head, maybe. Or the water could have been too treacherous at that point. I don't know. But the important point was that the man went to the Man of God, their way of going to God, and ask for help. It is just an axe head, not an irreplaceable item but one that would be costly. God cared.
God still cares. Take the time to talk with Him. Go to a quite place and learn to talk and listen to Him. Learn now when you can be at peace so that when circumstances are tumultuous you can still listen.