God cares.
“So, the people believed, and when they heard that the Lord was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshipped.”-Exodus 4:31
There is a saying; People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. The children of Israel had been in Egyptian captivity for 400 years. Most had given up on God because they did not see any benefit in following a God who was not helping them. Over the years they began following the Egyptian gods because at least statues and monument had been built for these false gods, and the people could see who they were praying to. The Lord God cared for the children of Israel, just like He cares for us, and He sent their deliverer in the person Moses. I can hear people thinking now, Yeah, but it took four hundred years, and I don’t want to be in my trouble for that long. Well, I have good news for you followed by great news. You’ll be dead long before then, and the better news is that the Bible says to be absent from the body, or dead, is to be at home with the Lord.
Most scholars believe that there was about a four hundred year gap in between Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, and the coming of Jesus. A span of time when there was no communication from God, and the Jewish people began making their own traditions because God was seemingly distant from them. Because of this apparently long time span the people had distanced themselves from God, and were unable to recognize Jesus as God in the flesh. Jesus was sent by God to deliver the world! Just as Moses came to the Israelites Jesus Christ comes to deliver us ALL not from physical slavery, but from demonic bondage. Jesus set us free from the power of sin, but we are still living in a sinful world, and we still suffer from the consequences of sin.
If God truly cares about us then why doesn’t He just snap His fingers, and bring us to heaven with Him where we can spend eternity in His splendor and glory. According to our way of thinking God should have sent Jesus back years ago to get His children. Some have even pointed to Matthew 24:34,”Truly, I say to you this generation shall not pass away until all these things take place.” Jesus said that He would return before this genea passed away. The word genea which is usually translated here to mean generation can also mean a race or a type of people. It is most likely that Jesus was saying that unbelievers will be here until He returns. This kind of Jew.
God is not slow no matter what we may think; He is purposely waiting for people to come back to Him before He calls it quits. II Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but all to come to repentance.”
The Israelites believed that God had abandoned them, and they no longer honored Him as we see that they only believed after they saw the proof that was presented. Which brings me back to the saying that I began with; People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. You can beat people over the head with the Bible until they have a bloody head, but they are not going to listen unless you first meet the needs they have. I have gone on several mission trips and had people look at me like I was crazy when I shared God’s love with them because they were hungry or thirsty or cold, etc., but when people’s needs are met they are more apt to listen to and believe what you say. God cares for us more than we can understand.
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”(Romans 5:8)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction…” (II Corinthians 1:3-4)
Father, I thank You for the love and care You have for me that was demonstrated through Your Son, and I ask that You would help me show others this love that I might have the opportunity to share Your love with them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Yes, You Can Ministry 