Celebrate Hope: Looking Back Stepping Up预览

God Sees, Knows, and Cares

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD. - Psalm 102:18

With the unrest we see around the globe: the senseless—in many cases, needless—loss of life and economic sustainability due to Covid-19; the persistence of deadly encounters with police, and the destruction prompted by the rage so many feel, it is easy to be overcome with despair and discouragement. Psalm 102:2 says, “Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress.” We often find ourselves wondering, Does God see? Does God care? Will God act? 

Reading in this psalm about the destruction brought about by Babylon (2 Kings 24–25), the focus shifts in verse 12 to God’s character, acts, and purposes. We read that He will act and that when God does so, all the kings of the earth will behold His glory. Because God hears the prayers of those who have no other help. He does not despise their prayers. Verses 18–22 pull back the veil of the curtain of time, allowing us to glimpse the tapestry the Almighty has been weaving. Future generations would read this story of destruction and learn that God is the One who cares for those who have no one to care for them. 

This truth isn’t just for ancient Israel. It is for everyone. No matter how bad today looks, God is still working out His plan. No matter how painful your reality has been. He is going to make it right in the end. —Charles Gilmer

When have you questioned whether God cares about what you are facing?

God, help us to trust that You see, You know, You care, and You will act. Give us a glimpse of the good You promise to bring, even out of instances of destruction and devastation.