It is wonderful to know and experience that our God is caring. All of us who trusted God did and do experience Him caring. Care involves considering the good of the party ahead of time and plan or do something even when the party doesn’t think or is completely unaware of his her need of that. And God does exactly this for his people. The Book of Genesis abounds with illustrations on God’s such caring. A few of them are worth noting.
It was God’s caring mind that made a helpmate for Adam. God thought about this need and not Adam. Today we enjoy having a wife. Though we might find fault with our female folk for one thing or the other often, we need to note how a man is indebted to his wife in his life!
The promise of a redeemer, after man sinned, is due to God’s caring for humanity. He cared enough to save us eternally and made his plan known for it!
God’s warning to Cain about the sin he is about to commit came from his care for Cain and concern for Abel!
God’s care for humanity forced him to save Noah and his family through the flood. Even in his judgments God is caring!
God’s call of Abraham is another example of his care for the well being of humanity. He called Abraham with the intention to prepare a group of people to introduce the savior of the world.
God’s care for Abraham protected him through out his life in the Promised Land. His directions of Abraham at all turning points are the result of him caring for Abraham. His protection of Abraham in Egypt (Gen. 12), and in Gerar (Gen. 20), his provision of a lamb at the site of sacrifice ( Gen. 22 cf. v.8),His guidance of Abraham’s servant Eliazer to reach Rebecca’s house to take her as wife for Isaac ( Gen. 24) etc. are evidences of God’s care for Abraham!
Even though Hagar was outside of the chosen people and even if God asked Abraham to cast her out we see God caring for her in Gen. 16 & 21. He cared enough for her to make her son a great nation!
God cared for Lot to save him before the destruction of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18 &19).
How God cared for Jacob is seen in the ways in which he provided for Jacob throughout his years of wanderings (Gen 26-36) and his protection of Jacob in the land of Midian.
The story of Joseph (Gen. 37-50) is a classic illustration of God’s care for His people. He controlled the whole life of Joseph in such a way that his careful plans for Israel are to be worked out (Gen. 45:5-8; 50: 18, 19).
Our God is a caring God. He cares ahead of time. He cares even when we are ignorant of what would we need and when. He thinks ahead of us. That is why Jesus said, ‘your heavenly father knows you need all these things and he will care for you’ (Matt. 6: 23-33). He knows what we need even before we ask him. (Matt. 6:8). He is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than what we ask or think (Eph. 3: 20). This is why Peter the Apostle said, “Cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7). If God did care for us to save us even when we were enemies and offenders to him how much more he will care for us having become his children?! So Paul says, “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?” (Rom. 8: 32). That is our confidence in Him. He cares for us. Whatever he has done in the past is an evidence and sign of what he will be doing in future. Therefore let us take confidence in this caring God.
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GLEANINGS FROM GENESIS is an attempt to bring to life lessons based on the historical events narrated in the Book of Genesis. Joji George Abraham would post this write up on every weekend as the Lord leads. Thank you for reading this. You may share this with others as the Lord leads you. He invites response as well. Joji George Abraham serves the Lord as a faculty & Dean of Students at Asian Christian Academy, India. He lives in the Seminary Campus with his wife and three children.