Saturday, September 29, 2018

God Always Cares

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”

Mark 4:37–40

After a long day of ministry, Jesus got into a boat with His disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee. Because of the cliff formations that surround much of that small body of water, it is subject to violent storms. The winds sweep down and stir the water, creating massive waves. Such a storm hit their boat that night, and in fear and despair the disciples woke Jesus with a form of the question many of us have asked of God at one time or another: “Do you care about my trouble?”

It is always a mistake to evaluate how God feels about us by how we feel about our circumstances. His love is unfailing and never changes. That does not mean we will never experience storms. And while some of the hardships we undergo are a result of the consequences of our choices and actions, many times we are suffering because we are right where God wants us to be. The storm the disciples experienced led them to doubt whether Jesus cared about their needs.

Yet, by this time they had seen ample evidence of both the power of God and the love Jesus had for them. The storm caused them to forget that truth, and as a result their faith failed in the moment of challenge. God loves you, no matter what you are facing.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

If we listen to our fears rather than our faith, we will doubt the love and care God has for us.