04062025 God Cares

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our caring God. I have been burdened lately over my mom’s painstakingly slow homegoing and the resulting challenges. At times my mind is very busy, trying to strike the proper balance between making life plans and remaining flexible. My spirit is saddened by the constancy of this weight that hangs over our family in such a prolonged way.

As I was praying for God to help me through these challenges, He brought a verse to mind. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (I Peter 5:7). This is actually one of my most-commonly recalled verses, but there was something different this time. God impressed me that “He cares for you” is more than just words. It’s more than an abstract statement. Those words mean something!

My Bible study tool defines “care” with “to be of interest, to concern, it matters.” A modern dictionary mimics that: “To feel interest or concern.” Caring is when one person’s heart is touched with another person’s situation, to the extent that he wants to do something to help - something to alleviate the pain or something to improve the situation.

This was what God impressed on me. If He cares for me, if He feels my burden, then He will do something in response. His interest and concern will result in action. I don’t know what that action will be. It might be giving peace and comfort. It might be stepping in to arrange the timing in a way that is convenient and manageable. It might be helping me to trust. But if God’s heart is touched with the troubles of my heart, He is not going to sit callously by, doing nothing and expecting me to just be tough.

I can readily think of a few Bible examples when God cared about someone’s overwhelmed heart. There was Hannah in I Samuel 1. These words describe Hannah’s state: “wept,” “did not eat,” heart grieved,” “bitterness of soul,” “wept sore,” “sorrowful spirit.” But when she poured out her soul before God, He cared, and He responded. He sent Eli to comfort her with the promise that God would grant her request, and Hannah bore a son.

How about this story that is a bit more unexpected? Leah in Genesis 29. Jacob loved Rachel, not Leah, but Leah was forced on him. We tend to share Jacob’s viewpoint, seeing Rachel as good and loved, while Leah is wrong and hated (even though it wasn’t her fault, and there is nothing to indicate she was of worse character or disposition than Rachel). Poor Leah was trapped in a marriage she did not choose and in which she would never be loved. But God cared. “When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb.” God’s caring resulted in action. That did not mean Leah became loved by Jacob or that all the conflict went away, but it did encourage Leah that “Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction” and “Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated” (Genesis 29:31-33). It didn’t change everything, but it meant something special to Leah.

I think of one example in which the question was actually expressed: “Don’t You care?” Jesus and His disciples were in a ship at night, and a great storm arose, threatening to sink the ship. The disciples were panicked, but Jesus was sleeping. They woke Him up and asked, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38). Did Jesus care? Yes, His heart was touched with concern at their struggle. He responded by calming the storm.

Does Jesus care for us? He does. What does that mean? The God whose heart has concern for and interest in our struggles does not stand idly by. When the troubles of our heart touch His heart, He does something. His action may not be to completely resolve the situation or to answer in the way that we most desire, but He will do something that matters. He will give peace and comfort. He will help us to trust. He will give us grace to withstand. He will work out His plan for our good and for His glory. I think the point of caring is that, whether we feel it strongly or not, the One who cares will intervene on our behalf. He will in some way help us to endure or absorb whatever the situation is.

Have you not found that sometimes it is enough just to know that someone cares, even if he is not able to do anything to change or alleviate the situation? God does that – He cares. The important difference is that God is not incapable of doing something.

May you hear God speak to you as I heard Him speak to me this week: “My child, remember that I care. And if I care, if My heart feels the struggles of your heart, then know that I will step gently and compassionately into your situation to do what is right and needed and helpful and good. Rest in my care.” He cares for you.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA