Reason #922
We took Scout on a walk the two nights ago, and she got a sticker in her paw. She was dragging behind a little, and Aaron turned around to see that she was limping. She held her little leg up and hopped on the other three, but she never made a sound to notify us about her problem. Had Aaron not turned around to see why she was lagging behind, she would have hopped quite a while on three legs. He scooped her up, and I pulled the sticker out as gently as I could so she could finish the walk on all fours.
Scout and I went on another walk last night, and when we came to the patch of grass where she picked up the sticker the night before, she stopped. I tugged on her leash and encouraged her to keep moving forward. I could see that she looked a little concerned about turning the corner, and I finally realized it was because she remembered the sticker in her paw the night before. She wasn't about to walk through that patch of grass again, and I didn't blame her. I picked her up and carried her to safe ground, and I was very impressed at her memory. Scout is a fast learner.
What if, the moment we were in a bind, we called out to the Lord for help? What if we didn't run away from Him, ashamed of whatever mess we'd just found ourselves in, but let Him take care of it on the spot? Sure, it may hurt a little bit, but it's going to hurt a lot more if we let it stay a part of our lives because we're too afraid of what it might feel like to let Him remove it. And so we hop around on three legs, allowing ourselves to be prohibited when all we have to do is ask for help.
But God notices. He can see right through it, even if we are trying to be quiet and conceal our problems from Him. He can tell that we're struggling. He knows that we need help. And the thing is, He expects us to ask for it. He doesn't expect us to limp around in pain and distress. He isn't going to be upset about helping us, either. He wants us free from the struggle because He knows that we're much more effective when we aren't being held back by the things He can so easily overcome.
So don't be afraid to speak up. It may seem like a "little" thing, or it may be an embarrassing thing, but God already knows about it, so you don't have to be afraid to tell Him. And when He takes care of, when He removes it from your life, be a fast learner. Don't go back there and pick it up. If you know right where you got it, avoid that spot. Be like Scout and stay away. And, if you find yourself nearing that very place, trust that God has a way for you around it. Remember what happened last time, and allow Him to help you so that you don't get yourself in the same bind again this time. Because He will. He will help you. He'll provide another way around it, and if you can't see it, then just trust that He will be faithful to carry you through it unharmed.
#922 - Because He will provide a way around it.
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13
Scout and I went on another walk last night, and when we came to the patch of grass where she picked up the sticker the night before, she stopped. I tugged on her leash and encouraged her to keep moving forward. I could see that she looked a little concerned about turning the corner, and I finally realized it was because she remembered the sticker in her paw the night before. She wasn't about to walk through that patch of grass again, and I didn't blame her. I picked her up and carried her to safe ground, and I was very impressed at her memory. Scout is a fast learner.
What if, the moment we were in a bind, we called out to the Lord for help? What if we didn't run away from Him, ashamed of whatever mess we'd just found ourselves in, but let Him take care of it on the spot? Sure, it may hurt a little bit, but it's going to hurt a lot more if we let it stay a part of our lives because we're too afraid of what it might feel like to let Him remove it. And so we hop around on three legs, allowing ourselves to be prohibited when all we have to do is ask for help.
But God notices. He can see right through it, even if we are trying to be quiet and conceal our problems from Him. He can tell that we're struggling. He knows that we need help. And the thing is, He expects us to ask for it. He doesn't expect us to limp around in pain and distress. He isn't going to be upset about helping us, either. He wants us free from the struggle because He knows that we're much more effective when we aren't being held back by the things He can so easily overcome.
So don't be afraid to speak up. It may seem like a "little" thing, or it may be an embarrassing thing, but God already knows about it, so you don't have to be afraid to tell Him. And when He takes care of, when He removes it from your life, be a fast learner. Don't go back there and pick it up. If you know right where you got it, avoid that spot. Be like Scout and stay away. And, if you find yourself nearing that very place, trust that God has a way for you around it. Remember what happened last time, and allow Him to help you so that you don't get yourself in the same bind again this time. Because He will. He will help you. He'll provide another way around it, and if you can't see it, then just trust that He will be faithful to carry you through it unharmed.
#922 - Because He will provide a way around it.
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13