“Why did you say that, Mommy?” my son asked after I exclaimed, “Thank you, Jesus!” I explained that his sister had almost fallen off the bench she was standing on, so I thanked Jesus for watching over her. A moment later my other daughter, who was also standing on the bench, lost her balance, fell, and began to cry. Without hesitation my son said, “Well, I guess Jesus wasn’t watching over HER!”

Have you ever felt that way? Due to difficult circumstances or the poor treatment of other people, have you concluded that He must not be watching over you, He must have forgotten you, or to put it simply, He must not care? If you have, you would not be alone; there were times that those closest to Jesus wondered the same thing.

The disciples had climbed into the boat, WITH Jesus and at HIS suggestion, to cross the Sea of Galilee. When a great windstorm arose, waves beat into the boat and the boat became “nearly swamped” with water. This was both terrifying and dangerous. The disciples saw no hope or solution, they only saw Jesus in the stern of the boat fast asleep. Thinking they were drowning, they awoke Jesus and asked Him, “Do You not care that we are perishing?” Don’t You care.....? How easily we can relate to the disciples when we too have wondered, “Jesus, don’t You care about me? If You care, why is THIS happening in my life, why am I in this ‘boat,’ about to drown?”

The disciples were not the only ones who asked Jesus this question. One day when Jesus was at the home of His friends, Martha was busy serving. Mary, on the other hand, sat at the feet of Jesus listening to His every word. This seemed unfair to Martha and in her frustration she asked, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me alone to serve?” Don’t You care....? Perhaps it isn’t a boat filled with waves crashing around us that cause us to doubt His care; maybe it’s a lonely kitchen, where we feel forgotten, alone, and treated unfairly, where a storm rages within us that causes us to question.

Do you long to be convinced and confident of His care regardless of the storm around or within you? If so, allow these words that Jesus spoke to His disciples in Luke 12 to penetrate your heart and mind: “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows (verses 6-7).”

Perhaps the disciples in the boat, or Martha in the kitchen, were really wondering if Jesus had forgotten them. Perhaps when we ask, “Lord, don’t You care?” we too are wondering if He has forgotten us. Jesus said that not even one of the sparrows was forgotten and that we are of much more value than the birds! We can be certain that He cares FOR us and will take care OF us!

Said the Robin to the Sparrow, “I should really like to know Why these anxious human beings rush about and worry so.” Said the Sparrow to the Robin, “Friend, I think that it must be They have no Heavenly Father, such as cares for you and me.” Author Unknown

Oh that we might KNOW the care of our Heavenly Father, as expressed to us through the Word of God, shown to us by the Son of God, and made real to us by the Spirit of God! We can entrust our lives and every detail of it, no matter how small, to the One who not only knows our name, but knows the very number of hairs on our head! Someone once said, “In His largeness nothing gets lost, not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks.”

It is often our “cares” that make us question HIS care for us. But we can rest assured that not one will ever “slip through the cracks” of our gracious God. Even when we feel overwhelmed by the storm or alone in the kitchen, He is there. Let us “consider” (fix our eyes or mind upon, fully observe, consider closely and attentively) His care for us, as we are told to do in Luke 12. It reminds me of my son, who was so enthralled with watching the birds on a recent vacation, that he wore binoculars around his neck at all times. He was READY to closely and attentively fix his eyes on any bird sighting! When he was unable to see clearly, he would adjust the binoculars until he could. We need to adjust our spiritual binoculars at times, too, in order to have a correct vision and understanding of how great His care truly is. We can attain a more accurate vision by reading His Word and meditating upon its truths, asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate these truths to us.

We would be overjoyed to further examine and think upon His care together in our study of the Gospel of Luke. All are invited! For more information or to listen to a recent message, please visit our website at women.ccob.org.

In His love,
Cara Blondo
(on behalf of Karen Pulley and the Women’s Ministry)