Proofs from the Bible of God’s Fatherly Care for the Just
3 min • Digitized on December 22, 2021
From The Sinner’s Guide, page 132
By Venerable Louis of Granada
As the greatest reward of the Christian in this life is God’s fatherly care, and as our joy and confidence must increase in proportion to our faith in this providence, we shall add here a few passages from Scripture in proof of this doctrine.
In Ecclesiasticus we read: “The eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear Him; He is their powerful protector, and strong stay, a defence from the heat, and a cover from the sun at noon; a preservation from stumbling, and a help from falling; He raiseth up the soul, and enlighteneth the eyes, and giveth health, life, and blessing.” [Ecclus. xxxiv. 19, 20.]
“With the Lord,” says the prophet, “shall the steps of a man be directed, and he shall like well his way. When he shall fall he shall not be bruised, for the Lord putteth His hand under him.” [Ps xxxvi. 22, 24.]
And again: “Many are the afflictions of the just, but out of them all will the Lord deliver them. The Lord keepeth all their bones; not one of them shall be broken.” [Ps xxxiii. 20, 21.]
This providence is still more strongly set forth in the Gospel, where our Saviour affirms that not “a hair of the just shall perish.” [St. Luke xxi. 18.]
Even stronger is His assurance expressed by the mouth of His prophet:“He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of My eye.” [Zach. ii. 8.]
Besides this care which He Himself has for us, “He hath given His Angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways. In their hands they shall bear us up, lest we dash our foot against a stone.” [Ps. xc. 11, 12.]
Thus the mission of these pure spirits is to help the just, who are their younger brethren, to walk in the way of piety. Nor does their ministry cease at death, for we read in St. Luke that the holy beggar Lazarus was carried by Angels into Abraham’s bosom, [St. Luke xvi. 22.] The Royal Prophet tells us that “the Angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear Him, and shall deliver them.” [Ps. xxxiii. 8.]
We find another illustration of God’s guardianship and defence of the just in the Fourth Book of Kings, [Chap. vi.] where we are told that when the servant of Eliseus feared for his master, against whom the king of Syria with all His army advanced, the prophet begged the Lord to open the eyes of his servant, to show him that there were as many for Eliseus as there were coming against him. The prophet’s prayer was heard, and the servant beheld the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire, and in the midst of them Eliseus. Does not the Holy Spirit will to teach us by these symbols the care with which God surrounds the just?