He Careth for You
God's care for us is personal, intimate, and all-encompassing, demonstrated through His provision, protection, and knowledge of every detail of our lives.
William MacDonald emphasizes God's profound care for His people, illustrating this through biblical examples such as the provision for Israel in the wilderness and the care for sparrows and lilies. He reassures us that we are of greater value to God than these creatures, as evidenced by Christ's sacrificial love and His intimate knowledge of our lives. MacDonald highlights that God is always present with us, bearing our burdens and ensuring our needs are met, even in times of trouble. He concludes with the assurance that God's care extends throughout our lives, from youth to old age, and that He will never abandon us.
Text
"He careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7
The Bible is fairly full of tokens of God's marvelous care for His people. During Israel's forty-year trek through the wilderness, they ate food from heaven (Ex. 16:4), had an unfailing supply of water (1 Cor. 10:4), and were equipped with shoes that never wore out (Deut. 29:5).
It is the same in our wilderness journey. To prove this, our Lord reminds us how His care for us is so much greater than His care for birds, flowers and animals. He speaks of sparrows, for instance. He provides their food (Matt. 6:26). Not one of them is forgotten before God (Luke 12:6). Not one falls to the ground without Him (Matt. 10:29), or, as H. A. Ironside said, "God attends the funeral of every sparrow." The moral of the story, of course, is that we are of more value to Him than many sparrows (Matt. 10:31).
If He clothes the lilies of the field more beautifully than Solomon was ever attired, He will much more clothe us (Mt. 6:30). if He makes provision for the care of oxen, how much more will He care for our needs (1 Cor. 9:9).
As our High Priest, the Lord Jesus bears our names on His shoulders - the place of power. (Ex. 28:9-12) and on His breast - the place of affection (Ex. 28:1Z21). Also our names are engraved in the palms of His hands (Isa. 49:16), a fact that inevitably reminds us of the nail wounds He sustained for us at Calvary.
He knows the exact number of the hairs of our head (Mt. 10:30). He numbers our tossings at night and keeps count of our tears in His book (Psa. 56:8 RSV).
Whoever touches us, touches the apple of His eye (Zech. 2:8). No weapon formed against us can prosper (Isa. 54:17).
Whereas the heathen carry their gods on their shoulders (Isa. 46:7), our God carries His people (Isa. 46:4).
When we go through the waters, the rivers or the fire, He is with us (Isa. 43:2). In all our afflictions, He is afflicted (Isa. 63:9).
The One who guards us neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psa. 121:3,4). Someone has called this characteristic of God "the divine insomnia".
The Good Shepherd who gave His life for us will not withhold any good from us (John 10:11; Psa. 84:11; Rom. 8:32).
He cares for us from the beginning of the year to the end (Deut. 11:12). He bears us even to old age (Isa 46:4). In fact He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). God really cares!
Sermon Outline
- I. God's Care for His People
- A. Illustrated in the wilderness journey of Israel
- B. Demonstrated in His care for birds, flowers, and animals
- II. Our Value to God
- A. We are of more value to Him than many sparrows
- B. He clothes us more beautifully than Solomon
- III. The Lord Jesus as Our High Priest
- A. Bears our names on His shoulders - the place of power
- B. Bears our names on His breast - the place of affection
- IV. God's Knowledge of Us
- A. He knows the exact number of our hairs
- B. He numbers our tossings at night and keeps count of our tears
Key Quotes
“God attends the funeral of every sparrow.” — William MacDonald
“He will much more clothe us than the lilies of the field.” — William MacDonald
“Whoever touches us, touches the apple of His eye.” — William MacDonald
Application Points
- We can trust God's care for us in difficult times by remembering His promises and His past faithfulness in our lives.
- God's care for us is not limited to our physical needs, but also includes our emotional and spiritual well-being.
- We should respond to God's care for us by trusting Him, obeying Him, and serving Him with gratitude and joy.