"He cares for you"

I shared on Monday how I received great encouragement from 1 Peter 4 during a time of struggle over an issue in my life. Here's another verse really jumps out to me:

casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
(1 Pet 5:7 NASB)

How can we roll our worries over to someone else and walk away? The only way I can see that this is possible is if we are convinced of the last part of that verse ... "because He cares for you." If you're not convinced of that, then you'll never be able to trust God with any issues in your life.

Does God really care? Does God care for me? These are the great questions of life. So many have the view of "hey Mr. God way up there in heaven" and have no perception that He desires to be intricately involved in the daily affairs of our lives. But I'm convinced God does indeed get involved in the little things of our lives. Consider these verses:

For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jer 29:11 NASB)

He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
(Is 40:11 NIV)

I love the picture of Jesus as a shepherd carrying a lamb "close to His heart". (Example 1, Example 2) That is a pictorial definition of caring, in my opinion. The knowledge of God's care is what gives us the confidence to let go of the things that we're anxious about. He genuinely, and gently, cares for us. That's good news.

Blessings,
Nathan