We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
In 2015, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz wrote an article called “Googling for God.” In this article, he follows Google searches to find out, “What questions do people have when they are questioning God?”
The number one question was, “Who created God?”
The number two question was, “Why does God allow suffering?”
But the third question slammed into my heart and made me realize how much of us genuinely struggle when encountering difficult situations: “Why does God hate me?”
A lonely outcrop faces waves crashing on the rocks. More land is barely visible in the distance. Photo by Mark Olsen on Unsplash
I know I often wonder about God’s feelings when circumstances get tough. Seeing the word “hate” in one of the most commonly asked questions about God tells me our perspective can get dark. It is hard enough when we begin to wonder why God isn’t doing something about our problem. It’s another thing when we become convinced He is actively working against us, that He no longer cares. And that’s what I hear hiding behind that Google search.
It’s a question in two parts as I see it: firstly, does God care? Secondly, does he care for me?
The caring bit about God is significant. It’s relatively easy to believe in a God who is all-powerful and all-knowing: a wonderful being so great and glorious that he can make a giraffe and manage a galaxy. Yet such a God could exist but be a cold and impersonal Being: the Universe’s Chief Executive, far too preoccupied to care for us.
The Bible’s picture of God is very different. In Exodus 34:6–7, we read that God ‘passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin.” ’
OK, God cares, but you may have a reservation: I am just a nobody, does He care for me? I understand the concern, but let me turn this on its head for you with a question. Why wouldn’t God be concerned for you? The Bible teaches how God reached out to all sorts of people from all backgrounds. Indeed, if there is any bias in who God accepts, it seems to be towards the weak, the insignificant, the ordinary, and the unlikely.
Does God care for you? Yes, he does. There’s a verse in a psalm that is, in effect, an offer from God: ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him’ (Psalm 34:8). Does God care for you? Yes, he does, and I encourage you to talk with Him about it in prayer.
Please pray For: all those who have sustained injury or property damage because of the rains and the flooding
Please Thank God For: all the dads out there
Please pray For: Bob Zellmer, as his treatments get adjusted
Please pray For: Geri, who has terminal cancer and needs a new round of chemo
Please Thank God For: Returning guests at our congregation here in Miramar
Please pray For: Joey, who is recovering from surgery
Please pray For: Robert, who has been diagnosed with sinus cancer
Please Pray For: Joyce Brosch and her ongoing therapy
Please Pray For: Geri Nay, who is struggling with chemo and heart problems
Please Pray For: Kristi, who is undergoing treatment
Please Pray For: Kathy Duitsman, who has breast cancer
Please Thank God For: For all those who lift us up in prayer
Please Pray For: Leela Izzo, that God would strengthen and heal her
Please pray For: Jarrett, who is recovering from a traumatic brain injury, and his mother, Heather, who is caring for him
Please Pray For: Those who struggle with housing needs
Please pray For: all those who are out of work