Does God ever think about YOU--meaning you singular as an individual? 

        Why should He?  Who are you that the eternal God Creator of heaven and earth and all that therein is should pay attention and be concerned about you—YOU as an individual, singular, one person in all this vast universe and well-populated world? 

        Good question, don’t you agree!  Who art thou?  Who am I that God should be concerned about me?   But He is.  That’s what MANY scriptures tell us.  You must find the answer in His character, in His grace, not in our alleged goodness or assumed importance. 

        But we don’t get lost in the vastness of the universe and the crowded cities of this world because  God is absolutely infinite!  so He has “unlimited time” for each one of us as an individual.  And, just as important, He cares for you.    “Casting all your care on Him for He careth for you.”  He does so with a double meaning—caring about and caring for, as in Psalm 23.    

        We are not alone!  People ask me sometimes if it’s difficult for me to “live alone” after being married for 54 years  to such a wonderful wife.   And I tell them, “I’m never alone.”  And that is literally true.  And I know it and I feel it.  And a lot of the time I just talk aloud to the Lord –and sometimes double check to be sure no one else is listening.  (^-^)  “ But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.  Psalm 40.17   but the Lord takes thought for me. esv 

           The Hebrew word translated thinketh is also interesting.  It’s Strong’s #2803   The root is interpenetrate or weave.  Interpenetrate reminds you of Heb. 4.13  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. esv   And the second root weave. takes us to Philippians 1.6  “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” niv  But also listen to the various synonyms given in the lexicon:  think, regard, value, make account of, conceive, consider, esteem, find out, forecast, imagine, impute, purpose, regard. 

             God thinks about us and His thoughts are much deeper and much more thorough and penetrating and purposeful than ours.  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.    For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isa. 55.8-9 esv 

             For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jer. 29.11 esv

Soli Deo Gloria

Soli Deo Gloria

We know we are “where we have always been . . . in God’s hands.” But, to change the figure slightly, “Thou hast . . . laid thine hand upon me.” And what does that mean? It’s a gentle touch of reassurance, God gently laying His hand on our shoulder as if to reassure and comfort us, to remind us, “You’re not alone; I’m here with you.”

 

It means we are chosen by God,

It means we are directed by God,

It means we are strengthened by God,

It means we are protected by God,

It means we are comforted by God.

 

Remember those moments in your life when someone you love and have confidence in, touched you on your shoulder and even without a word gave you that warm reassurance that helped you pluck up your courage and go on?

I am reminded of that dramatic moment in 1521 at the Diet of Worms (in Germany) when Martin Luther stood before the assembled leaders of the Holy Roman Empire to tell them “my conscience is captive to the Word of God! Here I stand! I can do no other.” And Justification by faith spread throughout Europe, Sola Fide, Soli Gracia, Soli Deo Gloria. [Salvation is Only by Grace through faith alone, to God be the Glory.]

 

As Luther made his way through that large gathering, a knight reached over and patted him on the shoulder and told him (of course, in German), “Pluck up thy courage, Little Monk, in the name of God, go on!” It was a propitious moment and affected the whole course of history—including your own

God has laid His hand upon us and we have never been the same. In the name of God, we do go on. And God uses us for His glory and the spread of the gospel and the edification and encouragement of our brethen in Christ. What will it be like to see Jesus in His glory and hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!”

[Note: I took that picture in 1980 when my wife and I were on our first visit to Europe on our 25th Anniversary. The building is on the town square across from the Cathedral in Heidelberg, Germany.]

 

Reality of God's Presence

A Prayer Already Answered

         Can you imagine what it would be like if God turned His back on you and left you to your own devices and instead of helping you, rejected you? Rejection from someone you love or admire is one of the hardest things to “take” in life. How much more if God Himself should reject you, God who is “rich in mercy” and Love personified!

        And His “forsaking” you means you no longer have God's help which you so desperately need. The Psalmist cries out in alarm, ^“Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me.” Psalm 38:21

         “Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.” Psalm 27:9

         Tired and weary and old, he prays to God, “Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.” Psalm 71:9

        But blessed be God, “the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.” Psalm 94:14 ”He who has begun a good work in you will perform it” (carry it on to completion). Phil. 1:6 We are where we have always been—in God's hands and He is working out His purposes for us. God does not start something and then not finish it. “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not abandon the works of your hands.” Psalm 138:8 NIV

         I remember many years ago when our youngest daughter was only about 2 years old or even younger, we were shopping in a neighborhood store where we lived in southern California and her mother was putting items in the shopping cart and stepped just barely out-of-sight for a few seconds to retrieve something and Lolly didn't see her. She cried out in alarm, “Mommy, don't lost me!” I scooped her up in my arms and reassured her that we would never “lost” her.

And scripture takes that a step further and looks at an historical “unnatural” aberration:
^“When [meaning 'if” or 'even if”] my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.” Psalm 27:10

         “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Psalm 37:25     My experience parallels the Psalmist's. I live alone now. But I'm never alone! The Lord is with me always. And I'm always aware of His presence—and so thankful to Him for it. “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:16 ESV

          We walk by faith and not by feelings so when God says, “ I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Heb. 13:5 we know it's true because God who cannot lie and doesn't want to, said it. The God of Truth said it. That settles it. May you also have an awareness—even if it's not emotional—and somehow sense the truth with your spirit and understanding, ^“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe. . . “ Ephesians 1:18-19