Choices

Does God really care about my troubles —even the ones I’ve brought on myself?

God’s Response

Your own actions have brought this upon you. This punishment is a bitter dose of your own medicine. It has pierced you to the heart! Jeremiah 4:18

I am waiting for you, O LORD. You must answer for me, O LORD my God. . . . I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain. But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done. Psalm 38:15-18

God often allows the consequences of sin to run their course —even for believers —precisely because he cares about them. God uses consequences to remind you of the danger of sin, to encourage you to work hard to avoid it, and to prepare you to face even stronger temptations in the future. He cares for you so deeply that he will even use your self-made troubles to discipline you. It is better to suffer from God’s gentle discipline than from the agony of eternal punishment.

God’s Promise

“In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you,” says the LORD. Jeremiah 29:12-14