Digging Deeper: Remember God Cares for You
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)
REMEMBER GOD CARES FOR YOU
Being a dad is the best thing I get to do each day. Our two boys are full of energy and life and bring much to joy us. Their personalities are so different, as happens often with siblings, and as a parent the differences breed an even greater depth of adoration.
One thing they both do frequently, though, is ask for help. My older son likes playing Mario Kart, and when he gets stuck on a hard level he quickly calls for dad to help! My younger son loves Legos, but he hasn’t quite mastered the construction process, so what does he do? “Dad, help!” I am not as good at Mario as I used to be (I still haven’t lost to him, don’t worry), and I am no Lego “master-builder.” So when I help my kids, the results often produce painstaking errors before resolution.
These inconsequential problems my kids face serve as a good model for how we behave. When we get faced with tough situations as Christians, we look skyward and say “God, help!” And that is a good thing! God wants us to bring our troubles to Him. Peter says “Cast your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).”
The fact that God cares about us is quite humbling. That feeling alone provides spiritual sustenance when I remember it. The problem is that when I am facing anxious and troublesome moments, it is difficult to remember!
When we examine the story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) this week, we see Martha asking for help, much the way my kids do. As she feverishly works, she demands Jesus to send Mary in to help her (with an audacity I can only hope to attain). As Jesus tenderly rebukes her, we are reminded that Mary’s eagerness to find the words of Jesus are a great example for us.
When we face moments of trouble, we want the quick fix, just like Martha. However, in many instances the Lord chooses to teach us through patience or suffering. In these moments, we must remember the many promises of the Lord and trust that He’s got us, even if it’s not in the timeline we would like.
The Psalmist reminds us to “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).”
There might be pain, there might be anxiety, there might be misshapen Lego projects, but the Lord promises to sustain us if we will turn to Him. For “God is ever true to his promises (1 Cor 1:9),” so if He promises to sustain us, then He will.
Just trust him.
Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.