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God Will Take Care of You
James Cash Penney grew up on a small farm in Missouri. Due to financial hardship, in his early teens he took a job as a store clerk to help support his family. Over time, he was able to purchase a one-third interest in a dry goods store in a small Wyoming mining town. His wife would wrap their firstborn in a blanket and let him sleep underneath the counter, so she could work at the store helping customers. From this humble beginning, J.C. Penney built the chain of stores we know today. (As a child of the 1950s and 60s, my new clothes were purchased once a year, before the beginning of school, at J.C. Penney.) He described his chain of stores as “The Golden Rule Store” based on the words of Jesus, "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matt 7:12
Penney knew great success and became a generous philanthropist, but as happens sooner or later in every life, hard times came his way. The Great Depression presented him with what seemed insurmountable challenges. Stress and worry kept him from sleeping and tore at his health. As he deteriorated physically and became depressed, he checked himself into the Kellogg Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was the “Mayo Clinic” of his day. His words tell of great torment: “I got weaker day by day. I was broken nervously and physically, filled with despair, unable to see even a ray of hope. I had nothing to live for. I felt I hadn’t a friend left in the world that even my family had turned against me.” Convinced he was dying, living his last day, Penney wrote farewell letters to his wife and son. He didn’t expect to see the next day’s dawn. But he awoke to a new day and heard singing coming from the chapel. The words of the hymn pricked his heart and lifted him from his despair.
Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you.
God will take care of you, Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you, God will take care of you.
We pray for God’s blessings and providential hand to guide us through life’s twists and turns. At least we should… because He cares for us. What a priceless blessing! When you are tired, discouraged, and beset with fears or discouragement, you are never alone. The Creator of all we see knows of your travails and cares. 1 Peter 5 “6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Think for a moment on those words in verse seven. As in Philippians 4:6, it is both a command and a blessing. How powerful, comforting, encouraging these few words are to God’s children. It is humbling to think that the all-powerful God in heaven above knows you, knows me. He knows your deepest thoughts and cares for you in this physical life. In fact, He commands you to cast your cares upon Him! Perhaps you or I have in the past prayed to Him to take away our worries, cares, and then we went on worrying, remain troubled. We pray, but we still hang on to our cares. It is hard to do, to truly be rid of our worries, but we must! Trust in God. He will do as He has promised. Your job is to plead in prayer and then trust in Him, to be no longer troubled. God is on your side!
Yes, we can speak to God as our Father because:
- He loved us first. 1 John 4:19
- He has adopted you as His own child, “chose us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame” and adopted us “as sons by Jesus Christ” Ephesians 1:4-5.
- He has made us heirs to a great inheritance:
- 16 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8
- 3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation” 1 Peter 1.
Further, God has provided for us in this present life. We are not only blessed spiritually, but we are aided by His love and care in our physical and mental daily living. He wants us to be at peace, so we can better focus on obeying and serving Him. He wants you and me to be saved!
- “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matt 6.
- “He has given you “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).
- He knows and helps you in your struggles: 6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4.
- He limits your burdens and temptations: “but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10.
So, the next time it seems that life has dealt you wrong, an undeserved burden; you feel lost, double crossed. Take heart. Cast your burdens on your Father; He loves you and cares for you!
Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.
All you may need He will provide, God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you.
- Danny Pickett
