Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. But even the hairs on your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid therefore, you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:28-31 HCSB
You ever felt like someone had let you down? When we feel as though our loved ones don’t have our back, we feel let down. Sometimes we feel as though they value others or the opinion of others over ours. This is the problem we face when we live by our feelings, but that is a whole other blog. Often times when I feel this way, I try to blame it on the action of one person, but usually it is the result of a string of let downs. I will bring back disappointments from years gone by and before you know it I am throwing myself a big old, “nobody loves me, nobody cares” pity party. If things really get kicked up, I will stir up a really good argument with a loved one to bring me down even deeper.
The problem with this is that I am a people person. I like to study people and sometimes that even leads me to studying myself. And of course, the first thing I am going to do when I get myself calmed down is pray. When I do this, God usually reveals to me that I have made a mountain out of a molehill and helps me to try to see things His way.
The devil loves to distract us. The devil wants us to think that God is not paying attention and not hearing our cries for help. The devil wants to assure us that God doesn’t love us and could not care less about what happens to us. These are all lies. The Bible tells us in John 8:44 that when the devil lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Do you know how many hairs are on your head? I don’t know how many hairs are on my head, but God does. I know that I can give my cares and my troubles to Him because He cares for me (I Peter 5:7). I have learned that when I trust in Him, He will give me just what I need. I have also learned that His timing is perfect, even if it seems a little slow to me.
I have learned that God loves me like no mere mortal could ever love me. He knows all my horrific faults and He loves me in spite of them. I have learned that He’s got this. It is so much easier to trust in Him and do His will. Priscilla Shirer said, in her book Breathe, that Anne Graham Lotz once told her that she had learned a long time ago that God would take care of her business if she would take care of His. Where we fall short of taking care of God’s business, is that we get distracted by the lies the devil tells us. We get distracted when those around us don’t live up to our expectations.
If you take nothing else from today’s scripture passage, it is my hope that you will not fear those that plot evil. Know that God has plans for them too and their day is coming. Know that people around you will unwittingly be used by the devil to distract you. Don’t be distracted by the devil’s lies. The devil would love for you to believe that you are unloved and that no one cares. But God loves you and God cares. God values you and knows what is best and when is the best time to give it to you. So today, commit to focusing on God. Refuse to allow the devil to distract you. No one will ever know you as God knows you. What I find so amazing about this, is that He knows everything about me and He loves me anyway. Nothing is hidden from Him and no amount of love is held back from me. He gave His own Son to die for a miserable sinner like me (John 3:16). How awesome is that?!
If you are feeling let down, know that God has your back. Know that if you focus on His business that He will take good care of your business. I can’t think of anyone else that I would want handling my business.
Have a great day!