WHEN SHOULD WE NOT BOTHER GOD?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered.”
(Matthew 10:30)

MEDITATION:
Do you have a close friend; not just an acquaintance, but a really close
friend? The kind of friend who will check on you often when you are
sick, or going through a difficult time. A friend who would sacrifice in
order to do something to help you, and he or she would do it without
being asked.

Some friends will check on you occasionally, but a true friend wants
you to know they are concerned and will check on you often. In just
a few words, Proverbs tells us about the value of good friends:
    One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
    (Proverbs 18:24)

We need good, reliable friends who have proven their friendship
is genuine. We need friends who we feel comfortable with sharing
some things we consider to be confidential. We don’t have to tell
them it’s confidential, because they know from the content of what
we say, that it should not be repeated – it’s just between friends. If
we have a friend we can share things with that we might not even
discuss with members of our own family, it is special, isn’t it?

Consider this question:
    “Do you ever share what you consider to
      be a trivial concern with a close friend?”
It may be a concern that is important to you, but you would never
discuss it with someone other than your friend, because you don’t
want to bother someone else with something they might consider
insignificant, or silly.

However, you feel comfortable discussing your ‘trivial’ concern
with your good friend, because you know that he or she is really
concerned about you and what bothers you, no matter how small
it may seem to others.

Isn’t that the kind of relationship we should have with the Lord?
Have you ever heard someone say something like,
    “God has much more important things
      to think about than my little problems.”
However, that same person might share their ‘little problem’ with
a close friend. What’s the difference? It may be that they know
their close friend better than they know the Lord?

When we read the scriptures we find that God, in fact, does care
about us and the details of our lives. Matthew 10:30 shows us how
intimately involved God is in our lives.
    “…..the very hairs on your head are all numbered”
That is about as small of a detail as we could imagine, but it isn’t
too small for God, is it?

Earlier we were told that He is aware of when a sparrow falls to the
ground. And then, we are assured that we are much more important
than the sparrows.
    “So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
    (Matthew 10:31)

We are also told to ‘not be afraid’ of others because God is with His
people. However, there might be a subtle message to us that says,
    “Don’t be afraid to share the smallest of details with God”

In Psalm 147:4 we are told that,
    “He determines the number of the
      stars and calls them each by name.”

Whenever we don’t want to ‘bother’ God with what we consider as
something small, we could possibly be overlooking the vastness of
His power and His attention to details. We might also be dealing
with too much pride. Our thoughts may be,
    “God is busy, so I’ll handle this one on my own”

If we have that kind of attitude, we are overlooking how God wants us to
depend on Him; He doesn’t want us to be self-sufficient and independent.
When we are independent, we are creating a gap in our relationship with
our Heavenly Father, who loves us.

God’s Word tells us who God really is. He’s not a God who loves from a
distance, but He’s a God who cares about the details of our lives. There
is nothing in our lives that escapes His attention, His care, and His love.
There is nothing too small for us to share with Him. Sharing, is how we
enhance our friendship with Almighty God; a friendship that includes
our honor and respect for Him as God.

ACTION:
We all need to have at least one friend who fits the description of a
close friend mentioned earlier, and, we also need to be that kind of
friend to someone else. Do you have a friend who checks on you so
often that you almost wish they would check a little less, but aren’t
you glad they are concerned about you?

It’s important to have close friends, but it’s even more important to
consider God as, not only our Heavenly Father, but also as the close
friend we need in our life. What are some concerns in your life that
you have not ‘bothered’ God with? Think about those things and
share them with Him today.

It’s time to start embracing and nourishing our relationship with God.
Don’t ever forget He is interested in our lives, and although He already
knows about our concerns, He still wants to hear about them, from us
(even if we think they are small).
    And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds
    of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert
    and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
    (Ephesians 6:18)

God loves all of us collectively, but He also loves us individually.
    Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you
    has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he
    leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after
    the lost sheep until he finds it?
    (Luke 15:3-4)

Pray:
“Heavenly Father, I am amazed that You are interested in
the details of my life. I am glad to know You care about me
and my concerns, including my small ones. Thank You for
being a personal God, and for assuring me that You are
concerned about my life, by sending Your only Son to the
cross to die in my place, which is the greatest expression
of love possible. Forgive me for not being more intimate
and sharing ALL my concerns with You.”

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