The Big Issue — A LifeWords Devotion

He that did not hesitate to spare his own Son but gave him up for us all—can we not trust such a God to give us, with him, everything else that we can need? (JBP)

Some of us may sometimes wonder if God really does care for us, if God really has our interests at heart. We suffer major and minor setbacks in life and we wonder if God knows or cares. Has he left us? Is he too concerned with other people and other things?

The proper response to that is that he has not given up on us, that he truly does love us given that love is his essential characteristic. But we could and should say more. The proof that he really does love us is to be found in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

In inviting Jesus to absorb all evil and guilt on himself on the cross, God was at the same time offering us the chance to be free of that evil and guilt. He was dealing with the biggest issue of all: human mortality. Our wrongdoings separate us from God. Jesus took the burden and the penalty of them on himself so we could be spared if we trust in what he has done. And so we could live forever with the God of life and love.

All sorts of issues press in on us which might cause us to doubt God’s loving care of us. But when such doubts come, we remind ourselves that the big issue has been resolved. If he cares enough to resolve that, we can trust him to resolve, in his time and his way, all the other issues that beset us.

My own one sentence summary of my faith is simply this: God loves me; Jesus proves it.

Blessings
David