Courage For Today

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When You Sometimes Wonder if God Cares

Strength

I’ve been burdened lately for so many of my friends and loved ones that are going through tough times in their life.  I so appreciate that others share their pain and hurt and, honestly, I hurt with them.  Their burdens are real.  Their hurt is deep.  Their pain is relentless.  At the center of their pain and hurt is an underlying feeling that no one cares.  The world has shut them out in many cases.  Their family and friends seemingly turn their backs.  And, through the heartache, they sometimes give up on God and wonder if HE really cares about them.

After all, God is busy running the universe.  He doesn’t have time for little old me.  I know He may care about me in the “big picture,” but does He really care about my problems and my situations?  The answer is an emphatic YES!  As you sit there reading this post, I pray that you stop whatever you’re doing for a brief moment and just relish in the fact that God does care about you.  Stop and realize that God is wrapping His heavenly arms around you even at this moment.

If you don’t believe me, here are some verses from God’s word to simply remind you of how truly special you are:

  • You are an heir of God and co-heir with Christ.  Romans 8:17
  • You are eternal, like an angel.  Luke 20:36
  • You have a crown that will last forever.  1 Corinthians 9:25
  • You are a treasured possession.  Exodus 19:5
  • You were chosen before the creation of the world.  Ephesians 1:4
  • You will be a holy people to the Lord your God.  Deuteronomy 26:19

You are God’s child.  Your place in life, your title in life, or your position in life don’t mean anything in relation to God.  What matters is that you are in the palm of God’s hand.

I wanted to give you one additional verse from the Bible to hang on to; one of my favorite versus in all the Bible.  I love the verse because it is written in a way for those of  us that are sometimes skeptical of God’s Love.  The verse is 1 John 3:1  and it reads:  ” See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called Children of God; and such we are.”  The last part of the verse is what I really want you to grasp.  When He says “and such we are” what He is saying is that “you really are.”  He knew that we would be skeptical.  God, in His infinite wisdom, is basically saying, “remember, you’re a child of God—really you are, I’m not kidding.”

He does care for you.  If it matters to you, it matters to Him. Nothing is too significant or insignificant to bring forth to God.

Always remember, you are a child of God—really, He’s not kidding.

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Three Strikes and You’re Still Safe

Grace

I love baseball; always have.  I suppose it is because of the rich history of the game along with the fact that I played baseball frequently when I was a child.  Baseball history dates back many, many years and is filled with stories of great games and great players.  In fact, I have many collectible autographs and other memorabilia which remind me even more of the history of the game.

Baseball was a game I enjoyed playing as a child, although I wasn’t great at the game.  I suppose I was average, but was never a superstar by any stretch of the imagination. I usually ended up playing in the outfield and occasionally even had a fly ball land in my glove—purely by accident.  I don’t ever remember running and catching a ball; the ball would simply find my glove.  As far as batting went, it was a success for me if I managed not to strike out.  If I happened to be walked by the pitcher it was really deemed a success because I had the rare opportunity to run the bases.

Baseball has a strict set of rules.  There are a minimum number of required innings to play. There are rules for batters and fielders and there are umpires present to insure everyone and every team complies with the rules. Whenever I batted, it didn’t matter how much I might argue, I was never given a 4th strike.  I was only allowed three; three strikes before I was called “out” and sent back to the dugout in humiliation.  It didn’t matter what I did to get more strikes, my efforts were futile.  I could practice harder.  I could be more of a team player.  I could help my teammates more.  I could be more polite to the umpires and coaches.  None of that mattered.  I was still only allowed three strikes.

I am so glad God does not and has not viewed me that way.  How many times have I failed Him? How many “strikes” would I have if God were keeping score?  What would happen if I only had 3 chances to “get it right” or God would never accept me?  God’s word says that it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve tried and failed, or what you’ve done in the past, He still awaits you with open arms. I remember vividly how disappointed my coaches were in me when I struck out and failed to deliver.  The good news is that God is never disappointed in us no matter what we’ve done and no matter how distant we’ve been from God.  He awaits you with open arms.

With God, your 3 strikes only mean you have another opportunity.  Your 4 strikes or 10 strikes only mean that God is still waiting for you.  He will never be a disappointed coach in the dugout.  He will be on the field encouraging you to come home.

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The Town’s Ever Flowing Artesian Well

Encouragement

I’ve said, in many other articles, that I loved to visit my Grandmother’s small hometown in middle Georgia. I have many memories as a young child and still think about those times often.  We didn’t go there much–maybe 2 or 3 times a year, but each time was an investment of memories that stick with me even today.

One unusual landmark of the small town was a community Artesian Well.  As a child, I really didn’t know what an Artesian well was, but I later learned it was a natural source of crystal clear water that flowed to the surface without the need of a pump.  It is different from well water in that the water constantly flows, as opposed to having to lower a bucket down into a well to retrieve water.  The Artesian Well was housed in a small brick building.  A small metal pipe protruded from the ground and through the wall of the brick structure and it was out of this pipe that the water flowed.

It didn’t matter what time of day you drove by the Artesian Well, you would see someone with a supply of buckets or plastic milk jugs filling them with this cold, clear water.  Even when no one was at the pump collecting water, the water still flowed.  You have to remember, I was a City boy and whenever I needed water at home, I would just turn on the water faucets.  I never could understand why citizens of this small town had to go to the site of the Artesian Well to get their drinking water.  I soon discovered that many citizens didn’t have plumbing and running water.  For those that did have running water, the water quality was so poor you couldn’t stand to drink it anyway.  The Artesian Well was an eternal source of clear, pure water that was a necessity for the survival of the town.

I’m sitting here this Sunday morning and being reminded of God’s eternal grace; mercy; and blessings. I think of how many times HE has shown me grace and patience when I didn’t deserve it.  I think of many more times when I deserved punishment and HE showed me Mercy.  I think of the multiple times HE has blessed me and my family beyond what I could measure or even imagine.  I think of how many times I’ve failed others, but how the Lord has never failed me.

It doesn’t matter what time of day or night I call upon the Lord, HE is there and HIS love is pure and clean.  In my grandmother’s town, the people visited the Artesian Well at all hours of the day and night to get water because they had confidence the water would always be flowing to meet their needs, and they knew the water would be pure and clean.  All the people had to do was go to the Well.  How true that is of our Heavenly Father.  He’s always there and all we have to do is go to HIM and he supplies all we need.

Where are you today with your Christian Walk?  Are you tapping into the pure, eternal love that only Jesus can provide?  Will you go to the ever-flowing Well today?

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