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Cynthia Article title

FACING DIFFICULTIES KNOWING
THERE’S A GOD WHO CARES

What is the shortest verse in the Bible? “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Jesus wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus. Why did Jesus cry when he knew he would bring Lazarus back to life. He cried because he was sharing our sorrows, showing his compassion for us. Even though Jesus was fully God, he became flesh (John 1:1, 14) and shared in our humanity (Hebrews 2:14). The writer of Hebrews tells us, “For we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15, 16).

So, when we face temptations, trials, or difficulties of any kind, we can know we have a God who cares, who sympathizes with us and understands our humanity. God, our Creator, reached out to us by becoming human and by giving us his inspired Word (Holy Bible) so we can know him and be reconciled to him through Jesus. We do not have a God who is far off, but One “in whom we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27, 28). We are not alone! God loves us and communicates with us through his Word and his Son. To those who seek him and obey him, he has given us his Holy Spirit, along with his Word, to comfort us, strengthen us, help us, encourage us, and guide us.

In addition to this, God has put those who obey him into a body of believers, the family of God, and he commands us to love one another (1 John 3:23). We do this by helping one another, serving each other, sharing our burdens and temptations, praying for one another, and encouraging each other. God did this so we would never be alone. We are in his spiritual family here on earth. He gave us his Word to guide us and inspire us, and Jesus as our example to follow. God loves us, forgives us, and comforts us so that we can do likewise to one another (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4). The world is full of sorrows and difficulties, but if we have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, he promises that we can overcome the world and its troubles with his help (John 16:33). He helps us through his family, the church. We can be thankful that we have a God who really cares.

— Cynthia Clayton

Picture credits:
©Patty Gibson