Like 8; Mark 4:35-41 “Don’t you care?!”
Peace in the storm, peace through the storm, peace from the storm
Of course He does…
“6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1Peter 5:7
...but that’s just it, He cares for “you” and therefore His care looks different from person to person and circumstance to circumstance - almost never the same - because He cares - and because of that, we need to learn some truths about God’s care
...and, His care, how He shows it, is not always what we would have imagined it to be… Jesus DOES calm the storm - He brings peace, He gives the seeker what they need, but, His answer, His provision, doesn’t always look the same...
Do not come under my roof - and at that moment to the servant was healed - from a distance - Matt 8:5-13
Woman with bleeding - healed without knowing she was there - Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-50
Man by the pool - healed without being asked, maybe even with the recipient not wanting it - John 5:1-15
Blind man - healed with hiccups - Mark 8:22-26
Couldn’t, wouldn’t heal (Mark 1:35-39 - hometown; Mark 6:1-6)
Sometimes God just lets the body and the illness take its natural course or used common treatments to aid in the healing
Natural function of healing -
Sick almost to the point of dying, got well, saved me sorrow upon sorrow - Phil 2:25-30
Timothy - no water, drink wine for your stomach - 1Tim 5:23
Sometimes, there was no apparent relief from the stressors at all...
No healing at all “My grace is sufficient for you” - All healed and some feelings. But not in his case, not in this case - 2Cor 12:9
“The man went away sad… because had much” - Matt 19:22; Mark 10:22
Sometimes, it just seems as though God’s apparent will and purposes are just unfair…
“What about Him?!” Jesus said “What is that to you? Would you follow me” - John 21:21
There are so many ways God works - And every time it is in line with each person and their specific and unique needs.
That is the grace of our Father and the good gifts that He gives - to each - and - to all
Be careful to not compare the Father’s provision for someone else to what He provides to you - He loves you too much to just give you another’s gift of need. It doesn’t always seem fair - but, what is right or just or fair? (Matt 20:1-16; Prob 1:3; 2:9; Rom 12:2) Is that a stone… or could it be bread? (Matt 7:9-11)
God is most interested in bringing each, and all, of His children to glory, and this, in the way that will do just that for (each of them) as they have been made, and are known, by Him. (John 17:22; Rom 8:30; Heb 2:10; 2Cor 3:18; Phil 3:21; 2Thes 2:14; Psalm 139; 1Cor 12)
And God’s care (to us) is as unique to us as we ourselves are unique - and that’s grace of a good Father, our good Father - a gift - a good gift - to each according to the need of each (Eph 4:7; Heb 2:4; Rom 12:3-8; 1Cor 12:7-11)
So, there is a “peace that transcends understanding” - Phil 4:4-8 but that peace is not contingent upon God’s removing the thing that is causing us stress, or anxiety, or fear, but to give us a peace that transcends it, that rises above it, that is there in spite of the circumstance… beyond understanding! See, that’s the point!
Trusting God in the midst of the storm to bring peace in, and through, and from, the storm!
God's ultimate goal is not that you have a “good” life here, but that you have life in Him, Jesus’ life, life eternally.
That we would, by persevering…
Grow in character and hope - Rom 5
Faith and trust, rescaling Jesus person and character - 1Peter 1
“Be mature and complete” ...growing in wisdom - James 1
Assurance and confidence - 2Peter 1
Peace that transcends these difficult times - Phil 4
God does care, and he cares enough to treat you as you need and as you are where you are to get you where he wants you - a good place
