BIBLE PASSAGE:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
(Psalm 46:1)
MEDITATION:
When you are having problems, or getting stressed out, what
do you think could give you relief? Don’t you just want to go
to a safe place and stay there until you are less stressed, or the
problems go away? Wouldn’t it be great if we had a special
room in our home where we could run to and lose our worries,
then calm down, and find peace?
If only we had a friend who knew exactly what to say to allay our fears,
worries, and anxieties. Unfortunately, even our best friends, who know
us well, don’t always have the answers for our issues. They may love us
and want to help us, but they can’t see the desires of our hearts, nor can
they understand everything that ‘makes us tick’.
So how do we handle our problems, stress and worries? We would be
well advised to turn to the One who knows us best, wouldn’t we? We
should go to the One who can read our hearts, our thoughts, and who
knows what ‘makes us tick’. We turn to our God, the One who created
us, the One who loves us, the One who is concerned about us, and the
One who wants us to have His best.
Think about it – God, the Creator of the universe, doesn’t want to see
us troubled. Although He doesn’t tempt us (that comes from Satan), He
will test us, and allow us to endure temptation. Why would He do that?
More than likely it is because He wants us to realize how dependent on
Him we need to be. He doesn’t want us to rely on ourselves and become
independent. God loves for us to depend on Him!
The more we feel like we can cope with any situation without depending
on the Lord, the more we are in danger of developing an arrogant and
egotistical attitude. God knows how arrogance and egotism can have a
negative impact on us, on our interaction with others, and even worse,
on our relationship with Him. He also knows how we can benefit when
we develop the characteristics of Jesus (which includes being humble).
From reading God’s Word, we know that Jesus didn’t worry, He didn’t get
stressed, and He wasn’t overwhelmed with problems. Why not? Because He
knew where to seek refuge, regain strength, and get any help He needed. He
could deal with all the issues He faced, because He remained as close to His
Father as He could. And that’s exactly what we should do – get as close to
God, our Father, as we can.
ACTION:
Are you having problems, feeling stressed out, feeling anxious,
and/or need help on some issues you are dealing with? If so, then
maybe you need to get closer to God. Are you reading His book,
are you worshipping Him, are you talking to Him frequently in
prayer, and are you obeying Him to the best of your ability?
These four actions (reading the bible, worshipping, praying, obeying)
can help us in our quest to get closer to the Lord. In addition, when
we make a conscious effort to become humble, with God’s help we
can overcome any tendencies to become arrogant or egotistical.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You are the One who knows me inside
and out. You know how to help me whenever I am having
issues of any kind. You are the One who can give me strength
to overcome the troubles I face. My trust is in You, and I am
thankful I can depend on You for help in any situation. Help
me to lose any arrogance, egotism, or independence that may
exist in my life. Teach me to be humble so I can be more like
Jesus and grow closer to You. May I never overlook or forget
the power of Your holy name. You are my Rock whom I praise!”
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