One line of the song “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” asks, “If I falter, Lord, who cares?” Many saints of God in past ages could have raised the same question: “Who cares?” In previous articles, we saw that the Lord Jesus cares with deepest, unchanging love for each one of His redeemed people. Our brethren also care, and we noticed some helpful examples that teach us how to respond when it appears that our brethren don’t care. There remains another solemn answer to this question to consider.
Our Enemies Care
The Christian has three enemies: the world, the flesh and the devil. It may seem strange to mention that if we falter, our enemies care. But the Apostle Paul, in speaking about Satan, says, “We are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:1111Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (2 Corinthians 2:11)). The Lord Jesus exhorted His disciples to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:1616Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)).
The Devil
Satan is called “the accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:1010And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:10)). He deceives the whole world (vs. 9). “He was a murderer from the beginning.... There is no truth in him.... He is a liar” (John 8:4444Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)). While he can never touch the eternal security of anyone who believes in Jesus, he strives incessantly, through his many “devices” (such as accusations, deceit and lies) to destroy the present joy of the believer by luring him into sin in one form or another. In this sense, the devil cares greatly when we falter. It represents another victory for his evil purposes and ways.
The World
The world also cares. When David sinned grievously with Bath-sheba, the prophet Nathan told him, “By this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme” (2 Sam. 12:1414Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. (2 Samuel 12:14)). It assuages the conscience of an unbeliever when a believer indulges in the same habits and lusts that characterize the unsaved person’s life and renders relatively powerless any attempts to witness for Christ and eternal matters.
The Flesh
Our third enemy, our flesh the old nature with which we were born as a child of Adam cares as well. Peter says, “He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin” (1 Peter 4:11Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (1 Peter 4:1)). In other words, when we walk in the power of the new life that we possess in Christ, we don’t sin and, consequently, the flesh suffers because it has no room to act in that life. On the other hand, if we walk in the flesh, we won’t be done with sin in our lives, because the activity of the flesh prompts us to sin.
This “care” shown by our enemies does not, of course, flow from pure motives. It is entirely a selfish interest, seeking its own good, not the blessing of its object. Yet Satan is crafty and can provide the appearance of genuine care that is nothing more than a deceptive lure into his trap. We who truly belong to the Lord Jesus possess a new life that knows what is true, discerns the care that flows from the heart of God through His people, and responds to the activity of that new life in another believer. Let us not be fooled by any of the many “devices” of our enemies.
Still No One Cares?
“If I falter, Lord, who cares?” We have seen that the Lord Jesus does, and His people, our brethren, do. The enemies of the believer do too but only in ways that are diametrically opposed to the spirit of Christ and true affection for the good of His own.
What if, knowing all this, we still feel like no one cares? What if we feel like circumstances in our lives have gone so awry that it seems like even the Lord Jesus doesn’t care about us? What if everywhere we turn, relationships with others we thought were our friends are so messed up that we can’t see anything that feels like care from them for us?
There are many aspects to these questions that would be impossible to cover adequately in one short article. Let’s look at a few thoughts that should help us get to the bottom of these feelings.
Believe God
First of all, do we believe God and His Word? “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:22In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; (Titus 1:2)). “It was impossible for God to lie” (Heb. 6:1818That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: (Hebrews 6:18)). “The truth is in Jesus” (Eph. 4:2121If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: (Ephesians 4:21); also John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)). “The Spirit is truth” (1 John 5:66This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. (1 John 5:6); also John 14:17; 15:26; 16:1317Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:17)
26But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26)
13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. (John 16:13)). “Thy word is truth” (John 17:1717Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)). There is no other stable, sure, absolute foundation on which to anchor our souls. We must get back to this solid rock and rest with complete confidence in what God has told us in His Word about His love and His care for us, not just for everyone else. “Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:44God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. (Romans 3:4)).
Read His Word
Let’s make sure that we’re in the habit of daily reading His Word. And let’s read it each time with the fresh attitude of desiring to learn something more about the heart of our God and our Father to learn more about Him. After all, this is where we’re going to get to know Him as He truly is. Others may present a distorted or improper picture, through their lives or their teachings, of who God is or what He is like, but He has given us a beautiful, consistent and complete revelation of Himself His person, His character, His heart and His ways in His Word. It is the delight of the Holy Spirit, who indwells each of us, to reveal these treasures to us (John 16:13-1513Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. 15All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. (John 16:13‑15)).
Self-Judgment
Besides giving us the opportunity to get to know the heart of our Father, the Word of God also faithfully opens our own hearts to us for self-judgment. “The word of God is living and operative, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and penetrating to the division of soul and spirit, both of joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:1212For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) JND).
If we feel like no one cares for us or about us, sometimes one character or another of the flesh is active in our hearts to produce such feelings. Pride and an independent spirit keep us from being willing to receive the care that others try to display towards us. Jealousy blinds our eyes from seeing the care shown to us when we are envious of others receiving that same care. Bitterness over past hurts makes us misjudge and not appreciate the present kindness and care of our brethren.
These are natural weeds of the human heart, but they are all the works of the flesh, not the Spirit. The only hope for blessing and victory in our lives is to identify each one in God’s presence for what it truly is, judge it before Him to be the work of the flesh, confess it to Him as sin, and continually pray for grace to be overcomers in these areas of our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit and the new life that we have been given.
In conclusion, let’s always remember that the One who gave everything who gave Himself for our eternal blessing cares with infinite love about every detail of our lives now too. If there are those that He has placed in His body who have real care for our souls and how we get on, how much greater is His perfect, never faltering, genuine care and affection for us. May the words of this hymn (Little Flock Hymnbook, #243) express the true desire and prayer of our hearts each day: O Lord! we would delight in Thee, And on Thy care depend; To Thee in every trouble flee, Our safe, unfailing Friend.
O Lord! we cast each care on Thee,
And triumph and adore;
Oh that our great concern may be
To love and praise Thee more.
D. R. Macy