He Cares For You

An excerpt from William MacDonald’s devotional One Day at a Time

The Bible is fairly full of tokens of God’s marvelous care for His people. During Israel’s forty-year trek through the wilderness, they ate food from heaven (Exodus:16:4Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
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It is the same in our wilderness journey. To prove this, our Lord reminds us how His care for us is so much greater than His care for birds, flowers, and animals. He speaks of sparrows, for instance. He provides their food (Matthew:6:26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
See All...). Not one of them is forgotten before God (Luke:12:6Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
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See All...), or, as H. A. Ironside said, “God attends the funeral of every sparrow.” The moral of the story, of course, is that we are of more value to Him than many sparrows (Matthew:10:31Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
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If He clothes the lilies of the field more beautifully than Solomon was ever attired, He will much more clothe us (Matthew:6:30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
See All...). If He makes provision for the care of oxen, how much more will He care for our needs (1 Corinthians:9:9For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
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As our High Priest, the Lord Jesus bears our names on His shoulders—the place of power (Exodus:28:9-12 [9] And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: [10] Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. [11] With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold. [12] And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
See All...) and on His breast—the place of affection (Exodus:28:15-21 [15] And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. [16] Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. [17] And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. [18] And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. [19] And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. [20] And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. [21] And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
See All...). Also our names are engraved in the palms of His hands (Isaiah:49:16Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
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He knows the exact number of the hairs of our head (Matthew:10:30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
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Whoever touches us, touches the apple of His eye (Zechariah:2:8For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
See All...). No weapon formed against us can prosper (Isaiah:54:17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
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Whereas the heathen carry their gods on their shoulders (Isaiah:46:7They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
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When we go through the waters, the rivers, or the fire, He is with us (Isaiah:43:2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
See All...). In all our afflictions, He is afflicted (Isaiah:63:9In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
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The One who guards us neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm:121:3-4 [3] He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. [4] Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
See All...). Someone has called this characteristic of God “the divine insomnia.”

The Good Shepherd who gave His life for us will not withhold any good from us (John:10:11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
See All...; Psalm:84:11For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
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He cares for us from the beginning of the year to the end (Deuteronomy:11:12A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
See All...). He bears us even to old age (Isaiah:46:4And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
See All...). In fact He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews:13:5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
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How The Lord Cares For His Sparrows…

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. — Luke:12:6-7 [6] Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? [7] But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
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But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. —Matthew:10:30-32 [30] But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. [31] Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. [32] Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
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My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. — Psalm:84:2-4 [2] My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. [3] Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God. [4] Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
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