God's Care in 2023

 

“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations...” 

II Peter 2:9

From The Pastor's Heart: God’s Care

How often we wonder whether God cares for us. We even sing the question, “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?” (Frank Graeff) We are literally surrounded by evidence that is witnessing to us all the time that he does every way – spiritually, emotionally, physically, but we still wander. Here at the close of another year, we should be especially thankful that our God has delivered us out of temptations because he cares for us and he is able to do it for us. We’ve come through a year of wilderness trekking and have faced many temptations to give in to our sinful unbelief, but we haven’t. The only possible explanation is that God has been delivering us out of temptations. He has been sustaining and nourishing our faith by his Word and Spirit. Even when our faith was virtually gone, he delivered us from giving up. What a wonderful blessing His persevering grace is to us. He has given us his promises and has been faithful and gracious to make good on every one of them. He has not allowed our enemy, Satan, to destroy us or devour us, although that’s certainly what he’s wanted to do. God has delivered us not just once or twice, but every day he has taken care of us and delivered us out of temptations. How many times during 2023 were you tempted? Can you count the times? And these are just the ones you are aware of! How many temptations God delivers you out of by preventing you from going in a certain direction, or by not allowing you to be exposed to it in the first place. God’s hand of protection has been on you this year, hasn’t it? Isn’t he good to take care of you so perfectly?




And then there are the times you have been tempted and have been taken in by it. Has God abandoned you then? Of course not! He has delivered you out of temptations that you gave way to, hasn’t he? What a wonderful Savior he is to us. He has given us fresh mercies as we came to that fountain filled with Immanuel’s blood, for our sin and uncleanness. We surely wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for God’s deliverance out of the temptations we willingly or foolishly were taken in by. God has delivered us by his grace, and we want to say at the end of this year, “Praise you, God! You do care for me. You are my deliverer out of temptation. Even when I doubted and questioned your care, you didn’t stop caring for me. Even then, you were working in a quiet way to protect and guide me. And even when I was burdened and couldn’t see how things could be in your will, still, you stood with me and kept me from caving in and giving in to despair. You’ve been so good to me this year.”




Have you been in places this year that looked like it couldn’t get any worse? Were you tempted to despair and to be completely overwhelmed by your circumstances? Have you been tempted sorely by what you’ve seen outwardly taking place? The world is getting more and more blatantly controlled by Satan, and your heart has grieved at evidence of intensified corruption and spiritual deception in the world. It has tried your faith to live in this environment, but at the end of 2023 you are still trusting and believing God, aren’t you? Praise God!




As we come to the close of 2023 let’s choose to trust God’s care for us. The victory that overcomes the world is our faith. 1 John 5:4 God has given us another year to live in his fellowship. We haven’t been swallowed up by the devil, and we haven’t turned away from the Lord in despair. Although we’ve failed God numerous times, he has never stopped caring for us. We are ready to believe God, and face what he brings us next year as we choose to believe him. No matter how you are tempted, God is able to deliver you. Trust him to take care of you with every problem and challenge and temptation that you face. He won’t ever disappoint you, and will never stop caring for you, his dear child.

Your loving pastor in our powerful Lord Jesus,

Ed Sager

"I see that grace groweth best in winter."

Samuel Rutherford, Letters