By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
WEDNESDAY
THEME: “DOES JESUS CARE?”
SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 5:6-7
“[6]Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, [7]casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
REFLECTIONS
The evidence of God’s care abounds among humanity. Yesterday’s meditation affirmed: “Great is thy faithfulness.” God’s faithfulness is your guarantee of His care and blessings. Blessings come not from the East, West, North, or South but from God. The psalmist made a strong case for God’s care when he wrote in Psalms 121:1-4 – “[1]I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? [2]My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. [3]He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. [4]Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Because He cares for you, He does not slumber nor sleep, and because He neither slumbers nor sleeps, He constantly cares for you without break. This is a reassuring commitment of God to humankind.
Peter shares his conviction of Christ’s care with us when he penned these heartwarming words in 1 Peter 5:7 – “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Instead of worrying, you are urged to cast your cares upon Him to experience His loving care. This passage prompted the poem we will meditate on and sing today. As Frank Graeff went through a period of “physical trouble, doubt, and depression,” he posed the obvious question, “Does Jesus Care?” His refrain is an affirmation that Jesus indeed cares.
Hebrews 13:5 assures all believers of God’s care: “. . . be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Does Jesus care?
STANZA 1: “Does Jesus care when my heart is pained Too deeply for mirth and song
As the burdens press and the cares distress And the way grows weary and long?”
Refrain
“Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares His heart is touched with my grief.
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares.”
We find answers to the situations expressed in Stanza 1 in 1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Does Jesus care?
STANZA 2: Does Jesus care when my way is dark With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades, Does He care enough to be near?
For sure, Jesus cares to be near when you feel lonely and dreary, as Romans 8:31-32 demonstrates – “[31]What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32]He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Yes, He cares enough to be near.
STANZA 3: Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed To resist some temptation strong When for my deep grief I find no relief Though my tears flow all the night long?”
Beloved, know where to send your cares and whom to cast your cares upon. Psalms 55:22 shows the way: “Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Do you believe this? Yes, Jesus cares—no worries in Him.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 181 – “Does Jesus Care?” – Songs of Everlasting Joy
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His care and keeping; thank God for His promises; pray to cling on to Him whatever you may be going through;
– Pray for people who are desperately in need of God’s mercies; pray for your church members with health, economic, spiritual, and familial challenges;
– Pray for escalating wars to cease to allow the human suffering to end; pray for families to spend time with the word of God;
– Pray for the peace, prosperity, and morality of the nation; pray for unity, the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the soon coming of our Savior.
