“Who cares?” is a little expression that we sometimes use sarcastically when we really mean “I don’t care.” But other times when we are down and being pushed lower we ask “who cares” for real. Most of us are blessed with family and friends who care about us but there are times of despair when we look beyond even this sweet comfort.
You know the kind of thing I am thinking about. Good people have troubles and even get terribly ill and die while bad people go along like they haven’t the first hint of a problem (just remember Romans 12:17-21). Things don’t always seem fair. Some kids get grandparents, while others don’t. A man does good works and just gets by and another man makes it big manipulating the material world.
Peter spoke to this situation in this passage: Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: casting alt your care upon Him; for He careth for you (1 Peter 5:6-7). There are times in life when the pressures of normal existence make us question the meaning of life. Yes, we have folks who care about us, but most of them have their own problems. Life is problematic. Everybody suffers in his or her own way. That’s the way it is and we learn to handle it. But sometimes it causes us to wonder if life makes any sense after all.
We need to remember that Peter told us in this context that the Devil was after us. We are to resist that old rascal “stedfast in the faith” knowing that he is after everybody else, too. When we doubt and wonder we are doing exactly what Satan wants us to do. The Devil wants us to feel sorry for ourselves. He wants us to dwell on what we perceive to be the unfairness of human existence. He wants us to be jealous of our friends and neighbors. He wants us to question the principles revealed in the Book. He wants us to feel like that the Christian life is just not worth
it. He wants us to feel that our suffering is unique. Satan wants us to become so discouraged that we turn from God to him.
So the apostle added this: But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered a while, make you peifect, stablish, strengthen, settle you (1 Peter 5:10). Peter tells
ffi Trouble comes to every life. Youare not the Lone Ranger. You remember that Elijah thought he was by hims in the world; God reminded him of seven thousand who had not bowed the knee unto Baal (1 Kings 19:18). God does not promise an easy road through this life. He does promise help in dealing with life (Philippians 4:4-6). And He promises Heaven as our home in the end (2 Timothy 4:6-
8). Yes, we suffer a little down here, but we are still on the way up there.
In the meantime, what do we have? We have someone who cares. He had Peter say that we must cast our care on Him, for He careth for you. This is an amazing thought, isn’t it? The God who spoke the world into existence and holds it up by the word of His power... cares about you. The God who looked at our stubborn sinfulness and sent His Son to die for us... cares for you. The God who established the spiritual kingdom, the church, so that He could bless us with fellowship with Him... cases for you. The God who saves the lost.., cares for you. The God who will one day speak all that is right out of existence.. .cares for you. The God who made Heaven.. .cares for you.
When things go wrong, remember that God cares. When things go well, remember that it is because He cares. Yes, always be thankful that He cares.