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Dear God
by Diane Bertrand Sometimes I think the Bible should be called "Dear God". People take so much stock in what is written in advice columns, even taking the time to send letters to the "experts". Some are willing to pay counselors and such large sums of money in their pursuits of various solutions to the problems that vex us all. Sadly, many never turn to the only true counsel that God gives us freely in His book called the Bible. I must admit that I did not always feel this way. I was among the skeptics of those who so boldly proclaim that the Bible holds the answers to all of life's problems. Many times I painfully waded through all of my own ideas and then the advice of everyone else I knew and when I had run out of options, I reluctantly looked to the Bible for help. Like many others, I found it hard to believe that such an old book could offer solutions to the problems of today. The more I looked to the Bible however, the more I began to notice that some fundamental pursuits are age-old and that the Bible has much to say about them. Take for instance, the pursuit of peace. In this fast paced world in which we live, peace is a highly sought after commodity. People are desperately asking " Where can I find peace? How can I relax? " Many look for "escape" in drugs, alcohol, vacations, spas, resortsand the like. Self help books are full of all kinds of ways to relax and unwind. People are willing to pay a high price for many of these things, and although some are not bad in and of themselves, they offer only temporary relief at best. The Bible, however tells us how we can LIVE in peace and calm assurance . Psalm 46:10 says " Be still and know that I am God.". ( NIV) In Matthew we are told that all was calm when Jesus rebuked the wind and waves. Do you know that it is impossible to save a drowning man until he ceases to struggle? In the same way, by these verses God is telling us that He, our rescuer, will save us and give us peace when we become still and relinquish control to Him. Philippians 4:6-7 says ; ' Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition , with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (KJV) The peace that transcends all understanding. What price would you pay for that? This is a constant peace. One that is not dependent upon the circumstances of life. One that makes people ask " How can you be so calm in that situation?" One that will even have you asking the same question about yourself. It almost seems ludicrous, until we see that it is the peace that comes from presenting our problems to God who cares so much for us, and thanking Him for being more than capable of handling them. "And how do I know that He is?", you may ask. Again, the Bible is full of stories of people who successfully put their faith in God . And of course, there's nothing like being able to say " I tried it, and it worked for me." The Bible has much to say about how we can live in peace and calm assurance daily. And best of all, it's free. I challenge you to look into it for yourself. Write your own "Dear God" letter, before you're faced with a problem for which you've seemingly run out of options. I promise, you won't be disappointed. http://www.faithwriters.com/websites/my_website.php?id=29497 Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |