A story has been told about a woman who lost everything in hurricane Katrina.\u00a0 She was staying in a shelter and the one rule of the shelter was that no food could be brought in.\u00a0 There were people who checked everyone who came in to make sure that no food was brought in.\u00a0 This lady forgot about a pack of Skittles that happened to be in her jacket pocket.\u00a0 After holding it together emotionally through losing everything in the storm when they tried to take her Skittles away the lady lost it.<\/p>\n
Isn’t it interesting that many times we can “keep it together” during the big problems in life, but we seem to always “lose it” in the small stuff?\u00a0 For situations like this we have familiar sayings such as “the straw the broke the camel’s back” or “one cupcake over the line.”\u00a0 They and other phrases mean the same thing, this has pushed me too far.\u00a0 Like many in the country my family and I have been facing some pretty intense trials.\u00a0 It all came to a point here recently and I wanted to lose my mind.\u00a0 It got to the point I had to simply laugh to keep from crying.\u00a0 In desperation and frustration I just poured my heart out to God and I told Him exactly what was on my heart and my mind.\u00a0 It was when I finally got quiet that God reminded me of two verses (both of which I have preached at various points in time).\u00a0 The first was Psalm 46:10a, “Be still and know that I am God.”\u00a0 That one gets me every time.\u00a0 I know He is God and I know that He has a plan, but the being still sometimes gets a little hard.\u00a0 The other verse was Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”\u00a0 Look at that, don’t be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap.\u00a0 Oh wait, that’s not all of that verse is it?\u00a0 The verse conclude “if we faint not.”\u00a0 God promised us that we would have trials in life (John 16:33), but what He didn’t say is how long they would last.<\/p>\n
So how do we make sure we can survive not only the storms of life, but also losing our bag of Skittles?\u00a0 I think that answer is found in two verses and part of another verse.\u00a0 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”\u00a0 We must remember that God loves us and according to Hebrew 4:15 He understands what we are going through.\u00a0 The second verse is Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their<\/em> strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and<\/em> they shall walk, and not faint.”\u00a0 This is another one of God’s great promises, that we will have renewed strength and we won’t be weary or faint, but to have this happen we must “wait upon the Lord.”\u00a0 That means even when things are getting difficult and it seems like our boat is taking on water, we must trust that God is God in the sunshine as well as in the storm.\u00a0 We must simply trust Him with the outcome, after all He saw the storm coming and had already prepared for it long before we ever knew it was coming.\u00a0 Finally a simple reminder from Genesis 18:25, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”\u00a0 It may not seem as though God is working things out for His glory and our good at times, but He is.\u00a0 One final piece of advice from someone who sometimes himself forgets this, don’t wait until your load is so heavy you are being crushed under it to give it over to God.\u00a0 As it comes cast it upon Him, wait for Him to work it out, and while you are waiting simply worship Him!<\/p>\n By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A story has been told about a woman who lost everything in hurricane Katrina.\u00a0 She was staying in a shelter and the one rule of the shelter was that no food could be brought in.\u00a0 There were people who checked … Read More