We all have days where we feel like we're on an island; there are so many things that have to be done, and it feels like we're the only one who can get it done. Some times it's just little day-to-day things; other times we're faced with huge circumstances that we're not sure how to get through. I don't know about you, but these are the days I end up thinking 'I don't want to be a grown-up anymore. I want someone else to deal with this for me.' Well, the good news is, I have the ultimate helper on my side.
By looking at the Garden of Eden, we get a glimpse of what God truly had in mind when he created the world. Genesis 2 tells us that when God first made the earth springs came up from the ground and watered all the land. When God created Adam, Adam didn't have to pull weeds or water the plants. Adam was completely dependent on God to provide for him - survival wasn't dependent on the works that Adam did. It also tells us that God came down in the cool of the evening and walked and fellowshipped with Adam and Eve. So, God created man to fellowship with him, and God completely provided for him.
This is what God wants from us. He wants fellowhsip with us, and he wants us to depend on him. In Deuteronomy, God promises his people that he will never fail them or abandon them. Deuteronomy 31:6,8 says "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you ... Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you."
This means you that we can be strong because the very God of Israel is going before you, and he's promised he will not fail you. Think about that - THE VERY GOD OF ISRAEL is going before you!! You can't lose - IF, you let him lead you and you do things his way. If you're looking for New Testament proof, John 14:16 tells us that God is going to send the Holy Spirit to comfort us and he will never leave us. God isn't going anywhere no matter how tough things get.
So, now that we understand that no matter what we're going through God is there to help us, it's important to realize that not only is he there for us, but he wants us to depend on him. Proverbs 3:5&6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." We are basically commanded to not try and figure it out on our own! Because we're human, we think like a human; but God functions on a much higher level. By letting him lead our paths, we can begin to live on that higher plane like he does. In order to do that, we have to acknowledge that we need God's help and be willing to surrender to him.
I Peter 5:6&7 - "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." How cool is that? He wants us to give him all our cares and worries - it doesn't say just the big ones, but ALL of them!! As parents, we want to shield our kids. You don't want your five-year-old to worry about bills or making the car payment right? They should just enjoy life and let Mom and Dad deal with all that. God is the same way. He knows he can handle your problem, and he doesn't want you to sit around and worry about it. Worry is basically just fear that something isn't going to get done or isn't going to get done right, and fear is the opposite of faith. If you have faith that God can take care of it for you, you're not going to worry! The first part of this passage is also very important. It tells us to humble ourselves under the mighty power of God. You have to get to the point where you can throw yourself at God's feet, call out to him and tell him you know you can't handle this on your own. If you humble yourself by admitting that, the Word promises that at the right time God will lift you up. So, you humble yourself and turn the situation over to God, and when his timing is right, he'll lift you up. It may not be when you think it should happen, but God is faithful and will lift you up.
So, you've fallen at God's feet and turned over your problems - big and small - to him. The devil is going to try to get you to pick those worries back up. Circumstances will come and it may appear that things are getting worse instead of better. This time is very important - you can't waiver. Philippians 4:6&7 says "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Whenever that worry comes, all you have to do is just step back and thank God for everything he has done. That praise can help build your faith and bring peace. The more you build up that peace, it guards your heart against the worry.
Another verse to keep in mind - 2 Corinthians 2:14a "Now thanks be unto God who always causeth us to triumph in Christ ..." Did you get that? God ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ!! If you do things his way and stay in Christ, you can't lose!!!!! That is worth jumping up and down about - YOU CAN'T LOSE!!!
This is all really hard to do, and I've really been working on getting better. Our natural reaction is to sit down and logically try to figure out how to fix the situation, but our first reaction should be to hit our knees and give the situation to God. He's God - trust me, he can handle it. And he wants to! He wants us to lean on him - not on ourselves.
