Daily Devotions
How We Know That Jesus Cares
Reading for January 18th: Exodus 1-3
"I have surely seen the affliction of my people..."
Exodus 3:7
Does Jesus care?
It's easy to answer this question when you're sitting in a nice home, with a devoted wife, loving children, no serious health concerns, bills paid, and few worries or cares worth complaining about.
It's another thing when your life has been wrecked by divorce; when you've got no clue how you're going to pay off a mountain of debt; when family members are bound by addiction; when you're the victim of abuse; when you wake up every day to pain; when you are severely handicapped by chronic health problems; when you have sunk deeper and deeper into the pit of depression; when you feel judged by family and friends whenever you bring up your struggles (see Job).
How can we know Jesus cares when we're suffering like this? There are at least three reasons I can think of:
- Jesus experienced pain and suffering as a man (Heb 2:17-18). He can sympathize with us because he walked in our shoes.
- Jesus hears us when we pray (Heb 7:25). You know when someone cares about you by how well they listen to your problems.
- Jesus died for us (Heb 2:14-15). Jesus died so that we might be delivered from our bondage in Egypt. If we ever doubt His love for us, all we have to do is look to the cross.
Father, thank you for caring enough about us to send your Son to live as a man and to die on the cross!
