The Christian Online Magazine -
Are you passing through a time in your life where you are feeling depressed and overwhelmed by your circumstances? Do you feel utterly destitute and helpless and do not know which way to turn? Are you in distress and seeking someone to help? There is Someone Who cares for you. You are constantly on His mind. Though man may forsake you and show that he does not care, this One will never forget you. His name is Jesus.
"When Commander Scott Carpenter returned from his space travels, the highest dignitaries in the land honored him. In the middle of the ceremonies, his five-year-old daughter, Candace, tugged at his sleeve. She wanted to show her daddy the scratch on her right elbow that happened while he was gone. What did he do? Yes, he turned away from the honors, away from the acclaim of a proud nation to give his attention to the concerns of his little daughter. A scratch on the elbow was important to her, and so it was important to him. That is a parable of God's relationship to us, His sons and daughters. Whatever hurts us, whatever our needs and problems, we bring them to our Father, and He Who is the Creator of the world, the Lord of the universe, turns to us and comforts us with the assurance of His presence and His love." - Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations
A scratch on her elbow was such a "big deal" to this little girl. She knew that she could share her hurt with her Daddy and that He would take time out of his busy schedule to comfort her. Many of us may have "scratches on our elbows" or even worse situations that we are facing right now. Our Heavenly Father wants to assure us today that no matter how small or big the problem - He is mindful of us, wants to hear about it, and help us through it all. Praise His Holy Name!
In Psalm 40:17, David declared - "But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: Thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God."
Perhaps you have recently felt this way - "poor and needy." You didn't know who to turn to or where your help would come from. Man seemed to have forsaken you.
But take notice to what David said here in this verse - "But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me..." It doesn't matter if others know of your situation at this moment for there is a God is heaven Who is thinking upon you. He cares so much for you. He hasn't forgotten you. Man may leave you in your darkest hour of need, but the Lord will never leave you. He will help you and deliver you with haste.
We can all derive great consolation in knowing that we are the object of His thoughts today. He has us and our predicament on His mind. We and our families are constantly in His remembrance.
Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that the most comforting news? God is thinking on us at this very moment. Oh! How we praise Him for it!
In Psalm 40:5, David also said - "Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."
God's thoughts toward us are innumerable - "many." His "thoughts" are actually His plans, purposes, and arrangements of our affairs for our ultimate good.
"They cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee" - In other words, they cannot possibly be placed in some kind of orderly arrangement and then perceived and numbered by man. Nor could they conceivably be placed alongside another in comparison. They are simply too numerous to be set in an orderly fashion. "They are more than can be numbered."
Oh! How we need to be reminded of such Scriptures. It is absolutely mind-boggling to think that we are so very precious in God's sight that His thoughts toward us are so numerous that they cannot be counted. Our languages have no way of expressing the amount. How astonishing this is!
Again, in Psalm 92:5, David described God's thoughts - "O LORD, how great are Thy works! and Thy thoughts are very deep."
God's "thoughts are very deep." Once again, this refers to His plans, purposes, counsels, and designs for mankind. They are "very deep." In other words, they are unfathomable. They are incomprehensible. They are so very profound.
What "fearful praises" should rise in the hearts of all men at the concept of such a Heavenly Supreme Being Who is so far above us as men!
Then, in Psalm 139:17-18, David adds - "How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee."
David breaks forth into exuberant praise at the concept of God's wonderful care that He exhibited in His life when He provided for his many needs, taught and counselled him, and poured out His love, mercy, and forgiveness whenever he sinned.
"How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God!" - How extraordinary! How numberless!
How confounding! How absolutely astounding they are to me!
"How great is the sum of them!" - All of the arrangements set forth for our salvation and spiritual growth, all of the times when He defended us or protected us from danger, all of the circumstances that He arranged to provide for our Daily Needs, all of the times when He showed us Divine Favor when we least deserved it - they are absolutely inconceivable! "They are more in number than the sand." Oh! How He deserves our utmost praise and worship!
"When I awake, I am still with Thee" - No matter which circumstances we face, we can be assured that God will always be mindful of us. He is forever the same. He will be thinking of us and arranging plans and purposes for our good.
God confirmed this concept in Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
God is working all things out for our good. No matter how much we feel so unworthy of the least of His mercies - His thoughts toward us are "thoughts of peace, and not of evil." Satan would love for us to receive an opposite view, but we must remember that he is a liar and the "father of lies."
God desires at all times and in every place to give us "an expected end." What this means is a future and a hope for tomorrow.
He will give us an "expected end" of our troubles. He will give us an "expected end" - the fulfillment of our dreams and desires that He has so graciously placed in our hearts. He will give us an "expected end" of our Faith where it will become sight.
Some may have a hard time receiving this truth that God is ever mindful of them for they have been so rejected, abused, and hurt by men and cannot imagine that anyone would ever care for them in such an overwhelming manner.
If that be the case with you, lay hold of God's words spoken through the Prophet Isaiah -
Isaiah 55:8 - "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD."
We must always remember that God is not man. Man may reject us and totally cast us aside when we are at our lowest point, but Jesus will never forget us. To another man, a "scratch on the elbow" is almost nonsensical - an absolute nothing. But to God, it is a "big deal" because it pertains to you and me.
May the Lord Jesus through the Power of His Holy Spirit comfort us as His precious people through His Holy Word.
May we never forget that we are all so valuable to God - valuable to the point where we are constantly on His mind.
Hence, may we never look at our lives and our circumstances the same after reading this message.
Copyright 2003 by Connie Giordano
