Does God Really Care? Yes He Does

Back in 2018 I wrote a post called “Is Your Faith Mature Enough to Move You Beyond Your Ability?” in which I wrote about responding in extraordinary ways by faith in Christ. That post was based in 2 Kings 6:1-7 in which the prophet Elisha miraculously makes iron float in order to help one of his students retrieve a borrowed ax head. As with many other Bible passages, this is one where there are many lessons to learn and I believe one of those lessons is that God cares about His people.

Think about it for a moment. Why would God allow Elisha to use a miraculous spiritual power to retrieve a chunk of iron? I think it is because retrieving the ax was important to both Elisha, and to the student and because it was important to them it was important to God. I believe that although it is unspoken, God was moved with compassion, giving Elisha the ability (and the faith) to make the iron float. In telling this story I believe the Bible reveals an aspect of God’s heart, showing how God is willing to get involved in solving a seemingly minor problem. In fact, because this was a problem for His people, it was a problem that was worth solving for our God who cares for us.

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)

Do you find it hard to believe that God cares or that what is important to you is also important to our Creator? In fact God does care about our problems, big and small. Do you (and I) have the faith to allow Him to solve our problems as He chooses, be it in a normal way or a miraculous way?

Book Review: Driving While Black

During the days of the horse and buggy the ability to travel was limited for everyone simply because it took too much time to go any great distance. The train helped, giving those who could afford to do so the ability to travel beyond their own surroundings. However, for African-Americans neither option afforded much of an opportunity for travel. Horse and buggy left African-Americans exposed to all sorts of dangers, especially in the south. Riding a train left African-Americans exposed to a number of Jim Crow Laws and various attitudes which could make travel down right unpleasant. This would all change when the car became something that the average person could afford. Car ownership opened the door to travel for many blacks and in Driving While Black Gretchen Sorin tells us the story of how being able to take road trips changed African-American culture while helping drive the civil rights movement forward.

I have mixed feelings about Driving While Black. The information, a mix of historical record and anecdotal evidence, is very interesting, revealing a part of our history which for the most part remains buried. Even with my family background, and with knowing some of what my past relatives faced, there is a lot that I learned from reading this book. However, there is something about the writing that caused me to struggle when it came to focusing on what I was reading. It doesn’t quite read like a textbook but there was just something that I can’t pinpoint that didn’t allow me to read for longer than a few minutes at a time. As a result I cannot give a full endorsement of this book.

If you enjoy history, this book is one you should consider reading. If you want a perspective that the majority of history books are unable to give, this is definitely a book you should read. If you read only for entertainment this might not be the right choice. I can only give one thumb up for this book, recommending it for those who truly enjoy history and for those who are open to walking (or riding) in another person’s shoes.

Driving While Black by Gretchen Soring, Published by Liveright Publishing Corporation