There are certain days where it feels like everything is working against us. As Jacob once said, “You have already taken my sons, Joseph and Simeon from me. And now you want to take away Benjamin! Everything is against me” (Genesis 42:36). Or as the character Tom Chaney said in True Grit to young Mattie Ross, “Everything is against me”. Well, when it seems like “Everything is against you”, you can count on one thing: God is for you and not against you (Rom. 8:31). When life knocks you down, get back up! When circumstances don’t go your way, get back up! When the rug is pulled out from under you, get back up! The Lord is the glory and the lifter of our head (Ps. 3:3). Every person in our life is like an elevator; they either take us up or they bring us down. We need to be sure we are the kind that lifts people up when they are around us. When the stresses of life mount up and bring you to the breaking point just remember…

“…the LORD lifts up people who are in trouble.
The LORD loves those who do right.
‘Psalms 146:8 (NCV)

I leave you with this great quote from Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “Beloved, when you esteem Christ very highly, the things of this world become of small account with you, and their loss is not so heavily felt. If you feel your losses and crosses to be such ponderous weights that the wings of Christ’s love cannot lift you up from the dust, surely you have made too much of the world and too little of him.

“…the Lord…will lift you up” (James 4:10).

Just a thought,
Carl

Q: “My psychiatrist says that I am suffering from kleptomania. What should I do?”
A: “Whatever you do, don’t take anything for it!”

There are times in life when doing nothing is doing everything. Most of the time, inaction is action in the opposite direction and then there are times when doing nothing is doing something. Most of the time, we need to act responsibly and quickly to issues that surface. At other times, trying to fix something immediately can add to the strain and stress that we are already trying to manage, compounding the problem. Do any of these verses resonate? Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” Isaiah 53:7 “…He opened not his mouth.” Exodus 14:13-14 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD…The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”When insulted or misunderstood, we immediately want to strike back and defend ourselves. When angered, we want to lash out. When wronged, we want to retaliate. These reactions can make matters worse. Hence, there is wisdom in doing nothing.

I’ve paid a price at times when I prematurely acted when I should have waited and vice versa— a lesson I am still trying to learn.

Just a thought,
Carl