God Cares
I hope you can smile knowing the amazing, powerful, and awesome God also deeply and personally cares for you, and for me.
God truly is amazing, astounding, and Awesome, and our journey in Isaiah 40 resoundingly makes that clear. At the same time, as much as I can’t wait to see the first flowers of Spring, Isaiah 40 also reminds us that we, like those wonderful flowers will also soon quickly pass away.
In between the grandeur of a great God, and the recognition of our own finite fragility, Isaiah takes us to yet another "vantage point," a closer look at the deep and personal care of God.
Isaiah 40: 11 proclaims, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms, and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”
In my use of the Interlinear Bible, a tool that looks at the Bible in its original language, research, and pondering the passage, I decided on an approach that I have never taken before.
I decided to create my own paraphrase, or expanded rewording of verse 11. My goal is to capture aspects of the verse that might not at first come to mind. Ideas clearly inferred in the passage that are expanded with the hope of increasing the depth of understanding. Here’s my expansion of verse 11 -
God, the greatest of all Shepherds, creates and maintains protective living spaces where his people can thrive. Places where abundant provision is not only available but is also sustained by Him. Pastures where He, as a vigilant Shepherd, remains not only watchful to ensure the safety of his sheep, but also attentive to meet their daily needs.
God also gathers and carefully holds the littlest ones, those weakest and most at risk, and gives them his tender care. As He lovingly carries them, He provides both protection and provision to aid them through the difficult terrains encountered in everyday living. His extra aid is also based on His recognition that they are young, and not only unaware of dangers, but also in need of his extra care and assistance.
God also gets us from point A to point B, not simply as a means of transportation, but chooses to carry us himself, and deepen our relationship with Him along the journey. He also not only holds us near and dear to his heart, but protects our vulnerabilities while preserving and restoring our strength.
Lastly, due to God’s deep recognition of the demands and difficulties of raising, protecting, and providing for children, God is ultra careful in how he provides for those who look after the littlest ones. As such, his gentleness is abundantly available to those tending to their young, for He knows the difficult demands of raising sons and daughters.
Perhaps you wonder, can the words proclaimed by the ancient prophet, or my attempt at a paraphrase, be backed up by the actions of the God of all time, space, and eternity?
Thankfully, Isaiah 40 not only reminds us that the Awesome God, who views those living on the earth, as if seated on the 29,032' summit of Mount Everest, is also the best Shepherd the earth has ever known. As such, we would do well entrusting our lives to his care, and to leave the staff of the eternal Shepherd, safely in his hands, and not attempt to grasp it ourselves.
Dear brother or sister in Christ, or friend along the journey of life, March is here. As you think of this new week, get into the midst of living it, even when you run into difficult challenges or encounter great opportunities, I hope you can smile knowing that the amazing, powerful, and Awesome God, also deeply and personally cares for you, and for me.