Does God Care?

I will say of the LORD, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Psalm 91:2

A refuge is a place which is safely out of harm’s way. A fortress is a fortified building that is virtually impenetrable by conventional means.

Martin Luther wrote that wonderful hymn which says, “A mighty fortress is our God; a bulwark, never failing. Our helper He amidst the flood; of mortal ills prevailing.” What a statement about the magnificent power and protection of God!

Does God care for you and me? What greater proof do we need than that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place?

Recently two men were hanged for possession of drugs in a country where capital punishment has been invoked for such crimes. Imagine what these men might have felt had another man rushed in just before the nooses were placed around their necks and offered to take their place, freeing them to go home to their families. What an incredible joy and sense of relief would have come over those condemned men.

God has done precisely that for us. He cared so much for us that even while we were yet sinners and still rebellious, He sent His only Son to die in our place, suffering the penalty that rightly was ours. And God keeps on giving. He meets our daily physical needs. He delivers us from evil when we stay close to Him. And there is never a time when we are separated from His care and concern. How could there be? His Son died for us. Can you think of a better reason why God would care for us?

Our Father and our God, thank You for Your amazing care and concern for me. In spite of my many sins, O Lord, You have reached down to touch me with love and grace. Take away my rebellious spirit; restore in me Your gentleness and hope. Help me keep my life centered on the cross of Christ. Amen.

Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).