Lord, thank you for making salvation so simple: believe in our hearts and speak with our mouths that Christ Jesus is the risen Lord!
For most of us, life hasn’t turned out as we expected it would. In some ways, it is much better, but in other ways, life took some unasked for turns. We’ve all had our share of sorrow and disappointment; shattered dreams litter our lives. Lord, remind us that those were our hopes and desires, not yours. Help us release our unattainable dreams, and the grief that accompanies them, the way we would helium balloons, letting them fly away out of sight. It’s only when we let go of what will never be that we can reach out to receive what is yet to come. Reassure us, Lord, that your plan far exceeds anything we could ever have envisioned.
The recent flooding in Colorado, reminded me of this story about a man caught in another flood. He stood on the porch as the sheriff went by in his jeep. The officer offered to evacuate the man but was told, “No, thank you, God will save me!” The flood waters rose and the man moved to an upstairs bedroom. A boat sailed by with neighbors in it. They called out to the man and offered him the last seat in their boat. “No, thank you,” was his reply. “God will protect me.” The waters continued to rise and the man had to climb out on his roof. The National Guard flew by in a helicopter and the soldiers called out to the man. They would lower a rope so he could climb aboard. Again, he refused, saying, “God will reach down from heaven and rescue me!” Unfortunately, the flood waters continued to rise and the man eventually drowned. At the pearly gates, he asked God why he’d not been rescued. “I sent you a jeep, a boat and a helicopter,” was His reply. “What were you waiting for?”
Heavenly Father, may we always recognize your hand when it reaches out to us. May we never forget that we, too, must do our part if we hope to be rescued from life’s difficulties.
God will carry our burdens, but only if we are willing to give them to Him. Sometimes, physically handing them over makes it easier to do just that. Try writing out those concerns that are weighing heavy on your heart and placing them in a small box. When the lid is closed on the “Leave it to God” box, release the problem, worry and anxiety to our Lord. Continue to pray about your concerns, but let God carry the burden and do the worrying. The problems will eventually resolve in God’s time and in His way. Until that happens, however, the weight of worry and apprehension are no longer being lugged on your shoulders and in your heart. It really doesn’t matter how you release your burdens to Him; the important thing is to do it!
Perhaps what our Father would have us learn is that worry is not for Him to take away, but for us to give up. [From “Vital Signs” by Kathy Herman]
O Lord, thank you for the reassurance that you never forget about me, especially since I so often seem to forget about you. I am, indeed, blessed that your love for me doesn’t depend on how faithful I am to you! Forgive me, Father, for my lack of faith; may I never again lose sight of you. Let my love for you be as unwavering as yours is for me.
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, he’ll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and he chose your heart. And the Christmas gift he sent you in Bethlehem? Face it, friend. He’s crazy about you. [From “A Gentle Thunder” by Max Lucado]
Sometimes it appears that it is the wicked who live a life of ease and the virtuous who endure the most hardships. Even though it often seems that those who least deserve it have the most good fortune, bitterness and envy must never enter our hearts. God blesses us and He blesses others; what God chooses to give other people is not our business. Whether or not they “deserve” their blessings or misfortunes is not ours to determine and why the wicked sometimes seem to thrive while the good suffer is not ours to know. It is God who determines what happens not only in this life, but also in the next! The prosperity of the wicked is temporary while the reward to the righteous is everlasting!
Devotions of the Heart 