In 1991 we won the war in Iraq, but we are losing the war against drugs and crime in our nation. One recent newspaper article stated that only one in seven home burglars are ever caught, and only one in five murderers are ever caught and punished.
We have problems in life, and there is that number one problem that affects the health of millions, the problem of stress. We live in a stressful age, a confused age, and we are confronted by strange contrasts in life until we wonder who we are, and if anyone cares. Is there anyone with power who can do something for us? What about God, does He have anything to offer us? I believe that he does. What can He do for us? I want you to know about three things God will do for you.
- GOD WILL LOVE YOU
First, God will love you. This has been true since the words, "...in the beginning God...," in the first chapter of Geneses, the very first words in the Bible. In the story of the beginning, God created all of creation and capped it off with the creation of man, the only part of His creation that He created to love and to have fellowship with Him. Man is the only creature with the ability to love God and respond to the love of God.
Throughout the centuries and the millennia God has demonstrated His love for man. The Old Testament is the story of the deliverance of his people through the flood, coming out of Egypt, and through the Babylonian exile, God delivered His people. He sent the patriarchs, the judges, and the prophets to tell man of His love, until the fullness of time when Jesus came; the very embodiment of His love. Now the same God that loved throughout history loves you today. When life fluctuates to the low extreme, remember that God loves you! When moments of hurt and insecurity come, remember that God loves you! When no one seems to care about you, remember that God loves you! When friends and family let you down, remember that God's son is the friend that "...sticketh closer than a brother." Remember that Jesus said about Himself, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for His friends." When you are disappointed, frustrated, and when you face tragedy, death, and defeat, when you cry out from the depths, and you have cried until your tears have dried up, REMEMBER that God loves you and you are not alone.
God loves you in all circumstances. On the walls of a mental institution an unknown patient scrawled the following words:
"Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky."It so touched the heart of F.H. Leyman, the author of the preceding verses of that song, that it became the last verse of the song, "The Love of God." God had penetrated the depths of a disturbed mind and heart.
But above all when you need a Savior remember that Jesus said, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life"
- GOD WILL SEEK YOU OUT
The second thing God will do for you is to seek you out. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they went and hid themselves. They were guilt ridden in their sin and God sought them out. "And they heard the voice of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?" God took the initiative in declaring His presence to Adam and giving him an invitation to come into his presence. That is the way God operates. He takes the initiative in inviting us into His presence. God took the initiative in sending His son into the world to reconcile men to God. The call was issued and God sought men out, providing forgiveness for them.
Today God seeks you out. In the depths of your sin God finds you and sends the Holy Spirit to convict you of your sin, and draw you unto Him and invite you to salvation. In the depths of the problems of life, God seeks you out. He makes Himself available to you when life is confusing, depressing, disappointing. When you are down in the valley far from the mountaintop, God seeks you out. God comes to you in the good times to remind you of your responsibility to share, serve, and support His kingdom. You see, God's presence is always here. We do not have to cry out to God and try to find Him. He is seeking us out. We simply have to open up to receive what He has to offer us.
- GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU
The third thing God will do for you is to care of you. God will take care of you in salvation. We respond and God takes care of the rest. God takes care of us in eternity. For the Christian there is no worry about eternity. Jesus said, "In my father's house are many mansions.....I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also."
God also takes care of us in life, in the here and now. If you will let Him, He will take care of you in time of trouble. When tragedy comes, when you lose a loved one through death, when life gets hard, God will take care of you. He may not change the circumstances you are in, but He will keep them from defeating and destroying you. He will give you the power to live within them and He will be with you every step of the way. God will take care of you! He will enter into your mind and into your life, and if you will let Him, He will give you knowledge and power to live your life successfully.
God will take care of you in time of need. Dr. R. G. Lee told the story of an event that happened in his first pastorate at Lima, North Carolina. He had received a bill from Furman University, where he was a student, for $84.00 that he had not been able to pay. The bill stated that it had to paid in full the following Monday. On the weekend, when he went to Lima to preach, he stayed in the home of a widow with her children and grandchildren. After supper on Saturday evening, as he started up the stairs to his bedroom, the widow said, "Mr. Lee you are working your way through college and you might need a little help." She then came up the stairs and dropped twenty, five dollar gold pieces in his hands. Dr. Lee said that he spread the gold pieces on his bed, and got down on his knees and thanked God for his providential care. Now he could pay the debt and go back to school.
CONCLUSION:
How do I know that these promises of God are true? Because:
"I’ve seen the lighting flashing,
I’ve heard the thunder roll,
I’ve felt sin's breakers dashing,
Trying to conquer my soul;
But I heard the voice of Jesus,
Telling me still to fight on,
Because He promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone."
That is what God has to offer you in the midst of the fluctuations of life. That is what God has to offer you in the midst of a crazy, strange, and confusing world. He will love you, He will seek you out, and He will take care of you.
Written by Dr. Matt Tomlin
Pastor, Ward's Grove Baptist Church
About the Author: Dr. W. Matt Tomlin is pastor of Ward's Grove Baptist Church in Jackson, TN. He also serves as a trustee of Union University. He holds the BA degree from Union University and the D.Min. and M. Div. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He and his wife Carolyn have two married children, Cindy and Kevin.