God cares for you

God Cares For You

by Robert A. Schuller

There are many challenges in our world today – many people are really struggling with living. This past week I went golfing and in our foursome was a golfer named George. George took me aside on the 3rd hole of our game because he was quite distraught that day. He said, “You know, my wife and I are really having a tough time. She doesn’t want to sleep in the same bedroom with me anymore and she wants me to move out. We’re really struggling with our marriage.” So I had a prayer with George. Awhile later the second person in the foursome pulled me aside and said, “I’m really afraid for my wife. Her drinking is getting worse. I’m afraid for my kids. She’ll go out and she’ll drive with my kids after she’s had too many drinks. I’m living in fear.” I prayed with him. A third person I was golfing with also was hurting. In fact, the reason I went golfing was to try to cheer him up. He lives in Washington and he’s at the UCLA Medical Center right now because his 7-month old daughter has been in the neo-natal intensive care there for the last two months. She has probably 15 scars across her tiny chest from various testing devices and heart surgeries. In fact, she has a couple of strings that are outside her chest that the doctors are slowly pulling, closing off two extra arteries that are causing all kinds of problems for her heart. The father is really struggling. There are so many people who are going through some real challenges today. They are responding “yes,” I also have struggles I’m dealing with.” The good news I have for you is that we have a wonderful, wonderful God who cares for you. There is a passage of scripture that will give you hope and build your spirits. It will give you confidence and assurance: Note these selected verses from Ezekiel, Chapter 34: This is what the sovereign Lord says,
“I will make a covenant of peace with my people and rid the land of wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forest in safety. I will bless them and…I will send down showers in seasons. There will be showers of blessings…the trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crop. The people will be secure in their land…then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they are my people.”
Those words give me hope telling me that my God is a powerful God. And, that my God cares for me and will lead me through the toughest of times. That I won’t be stuck in my valleys or in my struggles and my challenges. But that I will get through them and that I can conquer them. There are three things, specifically, in this passage that I ask you to pay attention to:
1) God will gather his flock (His people)2) God will fight our battles 3) God will shower us with blessings.
1) How does God gather His flock?

There’s an old fable that I heard as a young man. The fable that Christ had ascended into heaven. He had spent his time on earth; with his apostles; He had risen from the dead; He had appeared to hundreds of people after His resurrection; and then He ascended to heaven to sit on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. And as He sat there an angel came to Him and said, “Jesus, what happens now?” And Jesus said, “Well, you know I spent three years training my apostles and sharing with them the message of hope and sending them my Holy Spirit. Now they will go share My message with others. And they, in turn, will share with others. Then they will share with still others until the whole world knows My name.” And the angel looked at Jesus and said, “But what if they don’t share Your message with others? What if they don’t share the Good News, the message of hope?” And Jesus looked at the angel and said, “I have no other plans.” God has called His believers to be His messengers to declare to the whole world that Jesus Christ is real. And as His people respond to His wonderful message of hope, they are gathered into the loving arms of God and receive His promise of peace and goodness. That’s why this television ministry is so important. We received a letter recently from Saudi Arabia. “Thank you for the really good messages which we are getting through NBC Europe. Here religion is not allowed. But I thank God that your messages have found us. God bless you all. I’ll contact you again so that you may know how the Lord is working in this place.” Another letter from Michigan says: “About 6 years ago I lost my job, my home and almost my wife. You reintroduced me to Jesus and gave me the strength and motivation to dream again. We were able to attend the groundbreaking for the new International Center for Possibility Thinking. I was so overwhelmed that tears kept coming from my eyes the minute your service started until it was over. Thank you for helping to save my life. I will always keep a spot for you in my heart and our names will be on the Crystal Brick wall in the new building.” Letter #3: “Please accept the 2001 Eagle Club contribution with our thanks for the year of inspiration you’ve given us with your Sunday messages. Through the death of our parents, and now the terminal cancer of one of our children, you have lifted us up. We have found ourselves drawn to the power and elegance of your message and now depend on you to charge us for the coming week. You have given us the insight we need to make sense of our lives.” The message of hope that is shared through the Hour of Power over and over and over again reaches the hearts of people. It is the same message that has been echoing from the apostles, whom Christ ordained before he ascended into Heaven. He told them to bring hope, to lift spirits, to gather “My sheep.” And so God is in the process of gathering His people and giving them hope.

2) God will fight our battles!

God will actually fight our battles with the exception of one and that’s the battle each of us must fight. The battle we have to fight is the battle of doubt and lack of faith. When we put our faith and our trust in God, and allow Him to do the work, then the struggles and the challenges will be conquered. We will succeed and overcome!
Greg Anderson was a wonderful member of this church and a staff member for many years. One day he came from the doctor’s office and resigned his position here. He resigned because he was told that cancer had spread throughout his entire body. He was told that he had but weeks to live, months on the outside, and to prepare for death. Well, Greg started preparing his will, made arrangements for his burial and doing all the other things that he needed to do. There was just one thing he did not do –- he didn’t cooperate. He didn’t die. In fact, this was 10-15 years ago; he’s still alive! The cancer didn’t kill him. But it re-directed his life in such a way that he started an international organization called “Cancer Conquerors.” He wrote a book by the same title. We have a “Cancer Conquerors” chapter here at the Cathedral and there are chapters all across America. “Cancer Conquerors,” are people who support one another through the tragedy of having cancer. Greg shares how the power of the words we listen to, the words we speak and the thoughts we think will impact positively or negatively the fight against cancer. They will make a radical difference in the steps of action you take. When Greg was told that he was going to die of cancer, he went home and decided to fight with positive actions and live with cancer. And to this day, if somebody ever says to him, “I’m dying of cancer,” he throws up his hands and he said, “No, you are not. You are not dying of cancer. You are living with cancer.” What a dramatic difference that makes in our lives when we believe that positive powerful statement. We are living with cancer, not dying from cancer. How many of you have or had cancer? How many have ever had an immediate family member, mother, father, child, or spouse who have or had cancer? It’s an epidemic today, and every single person who’s given a diagnosis of cancer has to hear those words.”
You are living, not dying from cancer. It’s not the end, It’s just a bend.” You are one of God’s followers and He gathers His people and blesses them with His love.
God fights the battles for us. It is up to us to put our faith in the Shepherd and in the hands of God and say, “O Lord, here I am, broken as I am, incomplete as I am but still I am yours.” Hold onto your faith and allow God to fight your battles. Not only the battle of cancer, but also the battle of doubt, and lack of faith.

3) God will shower you with blessings!

Showered with blessings? That’s very difficult to believe when you have just heard the word, “Cancer.” Trust His promise. Believe that God will shower you with blessings. “Bring it on, Lord. Let is rain. Give me your showers of blessings.” Now look for the showers all around you. Medicine, friends and prayer are only some of the blessings of healing that are already coming your way. God is blessing you right now! Everything we do is a blessing from God. God has made it abundantly clear. The Apostle Paul says it distinctly,
“All things work together for good to those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
Today I ask you to accept the invitation if you have never before, to say “yes” to Jesus Christ. “I want you to be my God. I need your promises of peace. I need your promise of blessings. I like the fact that you are going to fight my battles for me. I will fight my self-doubt.” God’s promises become real and true and God will help us through. He is our Shepherd and He loves us. That’s the message of Hope! Prayer: Give me the strength, O Lord, to trust you, to put my faith and hope in you. And so, O Lord, I know showers of blessings are taking place every moment of every day. Help me, Lord, to see and recognize them. Right now, you are blessing me. Amen

© Copyright Hour of Power. This message was delivered by Robert A. Schuller from the pulpit of the Crystal Cathedral and aired on the Hour of Power on September 2, 2001.