There’s been enough going on recently for me to find it hard to imagine there is a single person on the planet who hasn’t asked a ton of ‘why?’s and ‘what on earth?’ A month ago, I believe the Lord was inviting me to write something. In my mind’s eye, I saw Him in the corner of our bedroom by the door. He was holding a feather quill pen. This, for two days in a row.
Followers of Jesus, are urged to be obedient to God’s will, because our obedience is an act of love. I sincerely want to respond quickly to the Holy Spirit’s prompting but I keep tripping up over myself. A whole month has gone by and I’m only starting now.
While I know there is no excuse for this delay, there is a reason. Well, there are a few actually. For one, right now, I am in the zone. The one where you are finally cruising along after a spell of continual diversions, blind-sides and illness. It was around 2012 when God started asking me to illustrate His heart. I am now consistently drawing and painting things that God has been showing me or who He is to me. It has taken me far too long to grasp a firm hold of this particular job and finally, I am focused on it. So I’m like:
“But I’m really in to doing this right now, Lord”
God is like:
“If you don’t stop and listen, I’m going to have to take your paintbrush away.”
“Ok, I’m listening.”
(See, I am a bit quicker to say that now. It’s when you get to look back and realise what you missed because you didn’t do as you were asked. And, worse, you realise what other people missed because you didn’t do what you were asked. But here’s the thing – even though I have been so unreliable, He still asks me to do stuff for Him)
Then I’m like:
“Why God? What’s the point?” And, “I don’t think I’d be very good at it anyway.”
He’s like:
(well, He doesn’t say anything)
Then I’m like:
“OOh! What’s that pretty thing over there? I’m just going to go over there and look at this lovely thing…”
Meanwhile another few years pass. Actually, as this time it has been a month, in general I am definitely progressing.
Some humans are very easily side-tracked and meander in all sorts of directions. Our lives become littered with a multitude of beginnings. I have dreamt all manner of truly beautiful concepts whose aroma of promise lie vaguely in drawers, boxes, cupboards, behind the shed and cluttering my mind. Every now and then the Lord is like:
“Caroline! Listen!”
Really loudly.
When I say that, I don’t mean I can hear a loud voice literally. I mean, I might have a close shave in the car, or a young friend dies unexpectedly or a pandemic comes along and stops the world. I am not saying God allows things to happen just to get our attention. Although there are occasions when He does. But we also have to recognise they are happening anyway to a dying world – it is wearing out (there is a whole lot to unpack on this subject, but I’m not going to go there right now). What I am saying is that when these things happen, if we choose to, we can recognise our mortality and begin to reconcile with God. It’s a moment to notice – to sit up and listen. Often following are a series of coincidences and remarkable occurrences. God speaks to all of us like this, but we usually miss it or dismiss it.
This brings me round to ‘Why?’ again. Why does He want me to write? What does He want me to write? This time, I have had a glimmer of possibility as to why. Twice, I have been led to read Revelation chapters 17-20 in the past few weeks. The book of Revelation in the Bible is a series prophetic visions of the end of the world as we know it and widely believed to be written by Jesus’ closest disciple. So, before I go further, a note on this.
As Christians (I’m explaining this in case you’re not) we believe Jesus is coming back to collect us and take us to be with Him. An event popularly known as the ‘rapture’. We also believe in a final showdown where He is coming to kick satan to hell and God is going to judge us for what we have and haven’t done. If we believe Jesus is the Son of God and call Him ‘Lord’ then we will be saved and spend eternity with Him in a glorified state. All will be restored according to God’s original design. There will be no more crying, sickness or death. But if we don’t, we get to spend eternity in hell.
There are numerous references and a lot of detail elsewhere in the Bible about the end of all time, and like Revelation, most of it is in picture language or and may or may not be metaphorical. It isn’t chronological either. As a result there are various interpretations that can be made as to the exact order of signs and events mentioned. One thing is clear – it is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. It warns there will be wars, rumours of wars, earthquakes, famines, tsunamis and violent winds. Of extreme selfishness and greediness in people, murder and intense suffering, etc. It is less clear whether the Lord will whisk His followers away from the worst of it or whether we will have to endure it like everyone else.
Ok, so that was a mouthful and you may be reading this and think, ‘what a load of …….!’. Which, of course is fine, no-one is making you read this, so no harm done. I am simply sharing what I believe. But you may be intrigued, so read on God-seekers.
It occurred to me that if the so-called rapture happened right now before the worst bits, then I wouldn’t be here in person to tell you my God stories. None of us would be. And the richest source of current testimony to God’s goodness and rescue plan would be lost to those left behind. So this is possibly why I am feeling compelled to write.
To go back to my title question: ‘Does God care?’ I now have to ask myself ‘Do I care?’. God has already answered the first. The mike was dropped on that question when the resurrected Jesus went up to heaven in front of eye-witnesses.
But before He went, Jesus clearly instructed His followers to tell people what He had done and to do the same. He told us to heal sick people, to throw demons out of people (yes, believe it or not, they are real) and to command dead people to live again. He wasn’t being metaphorical about this. God’s love and care is shown through His people because He is living inside them. If you are asking ‘Does God care?’, it means there aren’t enough of us around actually doing the things He’s asked us to do.
So I am going to write about the best person I know. He is my amazing Father, my closest friend and rescuer. He spoke to me and loved me when no-one else could. He lifted me up and made me new. He forgave me and filled me with peace. I am not afraid to share Him with You because I know sharing doesn’t mean I have less of His attention. He is still able to give me all of His attention all of the time, whilst giving you exactly the same undivided attention. He can do that with every single person on the planet and in heaven simultaneously. I don’t know your circumstances as you read this, but God does. And yes, He really does care. He cares when we are sick, when we think we are losing our minds. He cares even though we feel like we fail. He cares when people who are supposed to love us betray us. He cares when we feel bullied and intimidated by threads on social media. He cares when we are unfairly judged or hated. He cares that millions of children have been abandoned, neglected, or killed. He cares that the beautiful planet He made for us is slowly dying. He sees the gossip-mongers, polluters, abusers, the liars, thieves, the cheaters and the adulterers and the traffickers.
He cares because He made us for relationship with Him.
But the problem is – none of us are guilt free. Every one of us has been part of the problem even when we haven’t been aware of it. And often we do know exactly when we’ve been part of it. We all do these all sorts of these things in some measure. The book of Revelation describes in detail that God is going to judge and deal severely with those who practice these and other things. Which is controversial because we live in an increasingly liberal culture. Even as Christians, we don’t like to talk about this because it isn’t comfortable. And we love to be comfortable: comfy sofa, comfy mattress, comfort food, loungewear…
If you don’t believe me, ask Him. Ask God to show Himself to you. Ask Him about His rescue plan for you. If you have a friend or know someone who is a believer, ask them. Jesus isn’t a swear word, He’s a person – Ask them who He is to them. Ask them to pray for your circumstances. Ask them to pray for your healing. Ask them to show you how to talk to God and hear Him for yourself.
And, if you’re like me and already know Him – let’s share how lovely He is and let’s be ready with the answers.