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Summary
- The Bible teaches that God cares for each person: no sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father, and the hairs of each head are numbered (Matthew 10:29–31). 1 Peter 5:7 says “he cares for you.”
- The examples Jesus used are small needs, such as daily bread, food and clothing (Matthew 6:11, 26–32), and Paul told the Philippians to pray “in everything” (Philippians 4:6).
- Scripture records the complaint that God does not care, from the disciples in the storm (Mark 4:38), from Martha (Luke 10:40) and in the psalms (Psalm 13:1; 22:1).
- God’s care does not always remove the trouble: Paul’s “thorn” stayed (2 Corinthians 12:7–9), and Jesus denied that suffering proves God’s disfavor (Luke 13:4–5; John 9:3).
- Reformed, Catholic and Methodist teaching all affirm God’s care for each person but differ over how closely his will governs each event, including suffering.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Scripture quotations from the English Standard Version (Genesis 16:13; 50:20; Exodus 3:7; Psalm 13:1, 5; 22:24; 55:22; Isaiah 45:15; 49:15; Matthew 6:11, 26, 32; 10:29–31; 15:32; 27:46; Mark 4:38, 40; Luke 10:40–41; 12:6–7; 13:4–5; 18:1; John 2:1–11; 9:3; 11:35; Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 1:4; 12:7–9; Galatians 6:2; Philippians 4:6–7; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 5:6–7; Revelation 21:4).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 303, 309, 311 and 324. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P19.HTM
- Heidelberg Catechism (1563), questions and answers 27–28, Christian Reformed Church in North America translation. https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/confessions/heidelberg-catechism
- John Wesley, Sermon 67, “On Divine Providence,” Wesley Center Online, Northwest Nazarene University. https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-67-on-divine-providence/
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