“He careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

The Bible is fairly full of tokens of God’s marvelous care for His people. During Israel’s forty-year trek through the wilderness, they ate food from heaven (Ex. 16:4), had an unfailing supply of water (1 Cor. 10:4), and were equipped with shoes that never wore out (Deut. 29:5).

It is the same in our wilderness journey. To prove this, our Lord reminds us how His care for us is so much greater than His care for birds, flowers and animals. He speaks of sparrows, for instance. He provides their food (Matt. 6:26). Not one of them is forgotten before God (Luke 12:6). Not one falls to the ground without Him (Matt. 10:29), or, as H. A. Ironside said, “God attends the funeral of every sparrow.” The moral of the story, of course, is that we are of more value to Him than many sparrows (Matt. 10:31).

If He clothes the lilies of the field more beautifully than Solomon was ever attired, He will much more clothe us (Mt. 6:30). if He makes provision for the care of oxen, how much more will He care for our needs (1 Cor. 9:9).

As our High Priest, the Lord Jesus bears our names on His shoulders – the place of power. (Ex. 28:9-12) and on His breast – the place of affection (Ex. 28:1Z21). Also our names are engraved in the palms of His hands (Isa. 49:16), a fact that inevitably reminds us of the nail wounds He sustained for us at Calvary.

He knows the exact number of the hairs of our head (Mt. 10:30). He numbers our tossings at night and keeps count of our tears in His book (Psa. 56:8 RSV).

Whoever touches us, touches the apple of His eye (Zech. 2:8). No weapon formed against us can prosper (Isa. 54:17).

Whereas the heathen carry their gods on their shoulders (Isa. 46:7), our God carries His people (Isa. 46:4).

When we go through the waters, the rivers or the fire, He is with us (Isa. 43:2). In all our afflictions, He is afflicted (Isa. 63:9).

The One who guards us neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psa. 121:3,4). Someone has called this characteristic of God “the divine insomnia”.

The Good Shepherd who gave His life for us will not withhold any good from us (John 10:11; Psa. 84:11; Rom. 8:32).

He cares for us from the beginning of the year to the end (Deut. 11:12). He bears us even to old age (Isa 46:4). In fact He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). God really cares!  –William MacDonald

“And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.” Psalm 107:7

God’s thoughts are not as our thoughts–neither are His ways as our ways! This truth is strikingly exemplified in the manner in which He led the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land. We would have chosen the way that was nearest and most direct–but God decided otherwise. He led them round about through the wilderness, and that for the space of forty years! And not merely was it the most distant way–but it was the most dangerous way as well. It was a land of deserts and of pits–a land of drought and death–a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt.

But, as strange as it appeared, we are fully justified in saying that it was wisely arranged.
Their long detainments;
their tiresome and circuitous wanderings;
their fierce conflicts with the Moabites and the Amalekites;
the bitter waters which they had to drink; and
the fiery serpents with which they were stung–
all fulfilled the high purposes of Him who is excellent in counsel, as well as wonderful in working. However contrary His way might have been to theirs–yet “He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.”

And His dealings with His people now, are still as unusual, and as much opposed to all their preconceived plans–as were His dealings with the Israelites! He has crossed their own schemes, and thwarted their most fondly-cherished purposes! He always effects His own ends–in His own way!

Christian, what is your duty?

It is to cherish high thoughts of God in all His inscrutable dealings towards you.

It is to trust His heart–even when you can’t trace His hand; believing that “all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.”

It is to follow His guidance continually; for as He led His people of old with “the cloud by day, the pillared fire by night”–so He has promised to direct all your steps, and preserve all your goings.

It is to wait for His time; for although the way may appear long and tedious–yet remember, “all is well, that ends well.” And what will the end be? “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads! They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away!”  (John MacDuff, 1859)

….I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage…–Joshua 1:5-6

THE PERSON–“I”
A promise is no better than the person from whence it comes. If the person
is trustworthy the promise is sure and we can accept it with complete confidence.
In this case it is God who makes the promise and He is….
glorious in His power,
wonderful in His counsel,
infinite in His mercy,
precious in His goodness,
rich in His grace,
unsearchable in His understanding.

THE PROMISE–“will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee..”
Thomas Brooks wrote these wonderful words in 1667:
When God puts His people upon weighty services, He
assures them of His presence, and of His assistance.
He assures them that He will stand by them, and
strengthen them, and support them, and uphold
them. He assures them that . . .
His power should be theirs to defend them,
His wisdom should be theirs to direct them,
His goodness should be theirs to supply them,
His grace should be theirs to heal them,
His mercy should be theirs to pardon them,
His joy should be theirs to strengthen them,
His promise should be theirs to cheer them,
His Spirit should be theirs to lead them.

THE PLEA–“Be strong and of a good courage”
Because of the promise and the plea we are able to see precious possibilities.
God never bids us to do anything we can’t do, if we will but trust Him. Whatever
trial or challenge you are facing today you can face it with great strength
and courage. God said so!

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.– 2 Corinthians 5:10

Understanding this is key as to how we choose to live during our pilgrimage here on earth. Knowing we are accountable to Christ greatly influences the decisions we make. Keep in mind that Paul is speaking of believers, not unbelievers. This has to do with our rewards, not our redemption. Contrary to what some think, there are no degrees of fitness for heaven. The only grounds upon which any may enter heaven is through our faith in the finished work of Christ who shed His blood and gave His life that we might live. But, there will different degrees of reward in heaven–for some there will be more than for others.

We need to get rid of the foolish notion that we will all be exactly alike in heaven–the Bible teaches no such thing. Just as there are different degrees of punishment in hell, there are different capacities for enjoying heaven. While everyone in heaven will be happy, some will be happier than others. All will have their cup of pleasure from which they drink, but some will have bigger cups. Although heaven will be gain for all believers it will be of more gain for some.

William MacDonald said it well when he wrote these words:

Here are two young men who are the same age and who are converted at the same time. One goes out and lives the next forty years by giving top priority to the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The other gives the best of his life to making money. The first talks enthusiastically about the things of the Lord, the second about activity in the market. The first has a greater capacity for enjoying the Lord now, and he will take that greater capacity to heaven. The second, though equally fit for heaven through the Person and work of Christ, is spiritually dwarfed, and he takes that reduced capacity to heaven.

Day by day we are determining the rewards that we will receive and the measure to which we will enjoy our eternal home. We determine it by our knowledge of the Bible and our obedience to it, by our prayer life, by our fellowship with God’s people, by our service for the Lord, and by our faithful stewardship of all that God has given to us. As soon as we realize that we are building for eternity with every passing day, it should have a profound effect on the choices we make and the priorities we set.

“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning….” (Prov. 1:5)

The essential difference between the wise man and the fool in the book of Proverbs is that the wise man will hear and the fool won’t.

It isn’t a question of the fool’s mental capacity. Actually he may have unusual intellectual ability. But he just cannot be told anything. He labors under the fatal delusion that his knowledge is infinite and his judgments are infallible. If his friends try to counsel him, they receive scorn for their efforts. They watch him trying to escape the inevitable results of sinful and stupid actions, but they are helpless to avert the crash. And so he goes on from one crisis to another. Now his finances are a disaster. Now his personal life is in shambles. Now his business totters on the edge of chaos. But he rationalizes that life is giving him a bad deal. It never occurs to him that he is his own worst enemy. He is generous in dispensing advice to others, oblivious of his inability to run his own life. A compulsive talker, he holds forth with the aplomb of an oracle.

The wise man is made of better stuff. He realizes that everyone’s mental wires have been somewhat crossed by the Fall. He knows that others can sometimes see aspects of a problem that he has overlooked. He is willing to acknowledge that his memory may be faulty at times. He is teachable, welcoming any input that will help him make the right decisions. Actually he solicits the advice of others because he knows that “in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14). Like everyone else, he sometimes makes mistakes. But he has this saving virtue that he learns from his mistakes and makes every failure a springboard to success. He is grateful for a deserved rebuke and is willing to say, “I was wrong. I am sorry.” Wise children submit to parental discipline; fools rebel. Wise young people obey the scriptural precepts concerning moral purity; fools do their own thing. Wise adults judge everything by whether it is well-pleasing to the Lord; fools act according to what pleases themselves.

And so it is that the wise grow wiser, and the fools are stuck fast in the rut of their own folly.(William MacDonald)