Heap Of Trouble

Given December 22, 2007
Jesus said in John 16:33, "In this world, you will have trouble", and we can all agree this is true. We all have trouble of different kinds and magnitudes. I heard something the other day that made me think of troubles in a different way.

What if....a decree went out in your community to create a Heap of Troubles. This would be a voluntary thing and anyone who wanted to participate could bring their troubles to a pre-determined location and pile them up. This would go on for one week and, at the end of the week, all the troubles heaped up there would be divided into equal parts according to the number of people who had participated. These equal-sized troubles would then be re-distributed to all those involved. What do you think? Would you participate?

I can see a man with an armful of "troubles" coming up to the heap. As he begins to toss his problems onto the pile, another guy backs his pickup truck loaded with his troubles up to the pile. The first guy thinks, "Well, maybe my troubles aren't so bad after all." Do you get the point?

Many times, we think we have troubles and problems until we see someone else's. Then ours don't seem so bad. But, you know, God DOES have a program like this. He DOES want us to bring our troubles to Him and leave them there. But the good news is that they won't get re-distributed back to us. God will take care of them all! "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7". Now, notice that, "due time" part. Most of the time, we'll still have to deal with the results of our bad decisions but God will be right there with us to take us through. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me. Psalms 23:4".

Do you have any troubles? Toss them onto God's heap then let Him direct your paths, Proverbs 3:5-6.

Our Needs - Part 2

Given November 9, 2007
Yesterday, I wrote about the most important need in God's eyes...to focus on Him. That same morning, He showed me another view of the "prayer need" exchange.

When I go to God with my list of prayer needs, it's like me as a kid going to my Daddy with all these things I need. "Daddy, I've got this need, this needs to be paid, I need help doing this, I have this pain, that needs to be taken care of, this is broken, my friend needs your help........". Then my Daddy says to me,"Son, I'll take care of it. Just turn it all over to me. I've got unlimited resources and power, I'll handle it all. I love you so just give it to me and don't worry about it!" "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Matthew 6:25".

That's comforting. God is telling me to just hand it all over to Him and don't think any more about. Then we can spend quality time together just "walking in the garden in the cool of the day", Genesis 3:8. That's what He wanted all along anyway.

How Ya Doin' Dad?

Given December 7, 2006
God is dealing with me from several sources lately about the time I spend with Him. We know God wants to spend time with His creation; He walked in the garden "looking" for Adam and Eve, He brought the Israelites out of Egypt to fellowship with Him in the wilderness, He wants to spend time with you and I as His children.

I've got four wonderful boys and I think how sad I'd be if all they ever did when they came around was to tell me their problems and ask me for stuff. But isn't that the way we do God much of the time? We'll run over our list of needs then say, "Goodbye, gotta go." And God is saying, "Hey Son, wait a minute. I wanted to talk to you and tell you some things." Oh man, do we ever need to repent!

He wants us to come in to Him and just say, "Good morning Father, how 'ya doin'? Oh, sorry, you're always doing good, aren't you? I just wanted to spend some time with you today. You know Dad, I love you."

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Hebrews 11:5". That comes from spending quality time with God. I want to do more of that.