If you have children, or are around young children, then you'll recognize this:
Two toddlers are sitting in the floor playing. They are at Suzie's house, and the floor is filled with toys. Suzie is playing with her blocks, and Davey is trying to decide what to play with. Suzie tells Davey, "Davey, you can play with ANY of my toys. I'm playing with the blocks, but you can use ANYTHING that you want"...so Davey takes her up on it. He picks up her toy telephone, and begins calling his little sister...and he's having a great time...such a great time that Suzie suddenly wants to play with the telephone, so she reaches out and grabs the phone. Davey, of course, is upset, and tells her that HE was playing with the phone because she told him that he could use anything that he wanted to. Her response is, "I know that I gave it to you, but I want it back to play with it myself".
Don't we do the same thing with God? He tells us, in one of my favorite verses (1 Peter 5:7) "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you." But how often do we really cast them to Him, and allow Him to keep them? Don't we take them back to "play with them ourselves for a while?"
I don't know about you, but I'm really good at giving God the burdens of my heart, but taking them back from Him and worrying with them for a bit, and then giving them back to Him. I'm good at SAYING that I'm giving God my cares and worries, but I don't seem to truly let them go...sound familiar?
Worried about your family? Concerned with your finances? Got a health problem keeping you up late? Problems with your relationship with your spouse? Your Boss getting on your nerves?
Philippians 4:6-9 says "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."
There it is, my friends - in simple English - by prayer, and in faith, give your concerns to God. Then, again by prayer and in faith, allow Him to KEEP them, and watch as His will is done with your requests. Remember that sometimes He says wait, and sometimes He also says no. The peace that is promised will come as you allow Him to move in your life, and as you align your life with His will.
Want God to help you carry the load? Then give Him your concerns, and DON'T TAKE THEM BACK!
Have a care-free, Jesus filled day!
…..Bill Champion – NailPrints by way of The Daily Encourager (dlangerfeld@HarrisburgBaptist.org) and “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)
My Comments: It’s amazing to me that I get so many messages on very similar aspects of the same problem. So many of us struggle with these things in our lives; yet we all think we are the only one affected... Giving our problems to God, then taking them back as if we could do a better job with them than He can... It just doesn’t make sense, yet I do it so often. I’m so glad He is willing to take them again, when I finally yield.
Two toddlers are sitting in the floor playing. They are at Suzie's house, and the floor is filled with toys. Suzie is playing with her blocks, and Davey is trying to decide what to play with. Suzie tells Davey, "Davey, you can play with ANY of my toys. I'm playing with the blocks, but you can use ANYTHING that you want"...so Davey takes her up on it. He picks up her toy telephone, and begins calling his little sister...and he's having a great time...such a great time that Suzie suddenly wants to play with the telephone, so she reaches out and grabs the phone. Davey, of course, is upset, and tells her that HE was playing with the phone because she told him that he could use anything that he wanted to. Her response is, "I know that I gave it to you, but I want it back to play with it myself".
Don't we do the same thing with God? He tells us, in one of my favorite verses (1 Peter 5:7) "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you." But how often do we really cast them to Him, and allow Him to keep them? Don't we take them back to "play with them ourselves for a while?"
I don't know about you, but I'm really good at giving God the burdens of my heart, but taking them back from Him and worrying with them for a bit, and then giving them back to Him. I'm good at SAYING that I'm giving God my cares and worries, but I don't seem to truly let them go...sound familiar?
Worried about your family? Concerned with your finances? Got a health problem keeping you up late? Problems with your relationship with your spouse? Your Boss getting on your nerves?
Philippians 4:6-9 says "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."
There it is, my friends - in simple English - by prayer, and in faith, give your concerns to God. Then, again by prayer and in faith, allow Him to KEEP them, and watch as His will is done with your requests. Remember that sometimes He says wait, and sometimes He also says no. The peace that is promised will come as you allow Him to move in your life, and as you align your life with His will.
Want God to help you carry the load? Then give Him your concerns, and DON'T TAKE THEM BACK!
Have a care-free, Jesus filled day!
…..Bill Champion – NailPrints by way of The Daily Encourager (dlangerfeld@HarrisburgBaptist.org) and “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)
My Comments: It’s amazing to me that I get so many messages on very similar aspects of the same problem. So many of us struggle with these things in our lives; yet we all think we are the only one affected... Giving our problems to God, then taking them back as if we could do a better job with them than He can... It just doesn’t make sense, yet I do it so often. I’m so glad He is willing to take them again, when I finally yield.
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