Luke 12 | Psalm 56:8
Sure He cares, but how much?
“God loves you” is easy enough to understand. It lines up with all the Bible stories you have heard. It matches the Sunday school songs you have sung. But have you ever considered how much He cares about the details of your life? Does he care about the small stuff?
In 1996, Dr. Richard Carlson released a wildly popular book titled Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Actually, the complete title was Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things From Taking Over Your Life. (But it seems a little nitpicky to include the whole title, doesn’t it?)
Believe it or not, the main idea of Dr. Carlson’s book sounds like something Jesus said.
Then Jesus spoke to his disciples. He said, “I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. There is more to life than eating. There are more important things for the body than clothes.”
Luke 12:22-23 NLT
Jesus takes the concept a step further, and tells us what to do with all that anxiety: let God, your heavenly father, worry about it.
“People who are ungodly run after all those things. Your Father knows that you need them. But put God’s kingdom first. Then those other things will also be given to you.”
Luke 12:30-31 NLT
How does the God of the Universe have the bandwidth to care about things like clothing and feeding us? Nobody knows. Yet apparently, he does.
“Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? But God does not forget even one of them. In fact, he even counts every hair on your head! So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”
Luke 12:6-7 NLT
You were created in the image of God, who cares about you so much that he knows the number of hairs on your head. He knows every day of your life, and has since before you were even conceived (Psalm 139:16). He knows all your troubles.
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
Psalm 56:8 NLT
Now…think about this: if God knows all these details about your life, and he cares enough to keep track of them, can you trust him to help you with those details?
Yes, you can. And if you don’t believe us, ask Jesus. He’ll tell you to free yourself from your worldly headaches and trust Him.
“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”
Luke 12:29-31 NLT
Questions for Group Discussion
- Do you find yourself thinking that God is too busy to care about your problems? Why?
- What is the point of praying to God, if he already knows your needs? Could it change your mind? Could it help keep you from unnecessary worry? Could it change your situation?
- If the Bible makes it clear that God has the time and inclination to care about the tiniest details of your life, where would you get the idea that he doesn’t? What can you do to fight that thought?
Application: The Little Things
It’s time to go big on the small things.
Because it’s easy to just pray for the big things, this is a chance to switch things up.
- Think of all the things that you are concerned about, no matter how small or insignificant they may be.
- Make a list of all these things.
- For one week, include this list in your daily prayers.
- If daily prayer is a struggle for you, put it on the list.
- You may need to set an alarm to remind you to pray each day.
- If you want, do this for another week (or more)!
