Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).
My wife and I are proud parents of an almost two year old girl. As the parent of a toddler at the age of 42, the entire experience has taught me important lessons about myself and my relationship with God. One of the lessons that she has taught me this week is that we need to seek God’s wisdom, guidance, and help when we face difficulties.
Earlier this week, on Monday morning, my daughter was trying to get one of her toys from under the glider-rocker that is in her room. Normally, when she tosses a toy and it lands somewhere she can’t reach it, she will come and get me so that I can help her. Monday was different. Instead of coming to get me, she managed to get her head stuck between the seat and the base of the glider-rocker. I was getting things ready for my Tuesday afternoon class when I heard her cries and screams for help!
Since I made the decision to accept Jesus as my personal Savior, I would love to say that I have continually sought his guidance in all areas of my life including the problems I have faced. Just like my daughter, occasionally I still try my own way first rather than asking for help from God. When the apostle Paul wrote For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father, he was reminding Christians that at the time of our salvation and afterwards, we have a special relationship with God that allows us to call upon him as a child calls for his or her parents (Romans 8:15).
We all know Jesus’ teaching about the wise man that built his house on the rock and the foolish man who built his house on the sand. This teaching also applies here – when we turn to our own understanding and reasoning in solving problems, we actually begin to build on sand. This is why so many times in my own life that I have come up with solutions and quick fixes for problems only to see it all unravel. The apostle Paul wrote to the early church at Galatia But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage (Galatians 4:9)? When we pause to consider what this can imply: when we try to solve problems the way we did before we were saved, we are willingly putting ourselves back into bondage.
Consider what David, a man that God describes as being after His own heart, said about the peace that God provides: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake(Psalms 23:1-3). If there is ever any passage of scripture where God reveals his desires for his children, it is this passage. He doesn’t want us to experience difficulties and hardships of our own making, but wants to provide us a place of spiritual comfort and restoration. Even Jesus taught in his earthly ministry to Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matthew 11:29).
It’s a hard lesson to learn and even harder to remember when we are standing toe to toe with life’s problems. One of my favorite hymns, Solid Rock, tells us to “cast our every care on the Lord…” Although my daughter’s loss was only a toy, it was her toy; and in her mind, her solution was going to work. For us, our loss can also seem just as large as a child’s toy is to them – whether it is a financial difficulty, the loss of a job, a family problem, or even a health problem – to God, it is as he reminded Abraham and Sarah, Is any thing too hard for the LORD (Genesis 18:14)?
On a personal note: My daughter was not hurt and was just fine after I got her out of the glider-rocker. Since then, she has had a couple of other toys end up under it, and each time, she has come to me and asked for help. I, too, am doing the same thing with the problems our family is facing – asking God to provide for our needs. Please keep us in your prayers.
