When you are worried. . . . .PRAY!!

Thanks to Elizabeth George’s book, A Woman’s Call to Prayer, I have a new song in my heart today.  I’ve had a lot going through my mind lately, a lot going into my mind lately and just stopping traffic in the bottle neck of worry, and not much going out of town.  (if you know what I mean)  I tried to read my Bible but not much was making sense so I turned my chair around and looked at my bookcase.  My eyes found Elizabeth’s book and I realized by the bookmark in it that I had started this book but never finished it.  The chapter my marker was ready for me to read was titled, When you are worried, Pray. 

As I was skimming through it (because I want God’s answers to be insantaneous, you know.  They should just pop out. . . . lol), the first scripture reference given was to Philippians 4:6-7:  Be anxious in nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds throught Christ Jesus.

Well, wowzers!!!  There you have it folks.  God said not to worry!  God said to give it to him and then thank him, in advance, for taking care of it!!  God said once we do that he will fill us with peace (our anxiety will leave) and protect our hearts and minds!!

And just in case that isn’t enough reason not to worry but to pray instead, Elizabeth has a list at the end of the chapter titled, Side Effects of Worrying.  They are:

1. Self- Doubt
2. Mediocrity
3. Fright
4. No Spark
5. No Creativity
6. Improper Shaping (we are what we think)
7. Hazy Results (worried goals = worried results)
8. Bad Habits
9. Physical Ailments
10. Wasted Time

Well, Shivver me timbers- who wants to have all that stuff?!  I pray that those of you who read this will stop right where you are at, the moment you read this, and say a prayer.  Apologize to God for not allowing him to do his job and trying to do his job for him.  Then simply say, I am giving this problem/worry back to you to handle.  Thank you!!

Tim Sarver

I am very curious. . . . .nearly every day for like a week, someone has been reading my post about my brother. I would love to know who it is. Are looking for the basketball player or whoever that is that pops up when you google this name? That’s not my brother.

God keeps His promises!

I like to let my Bible just open sometimes and see where I land. Today I landed in 2nd Kings18: 31 through 20:21. It was about Hezekiah. He was a black and white thinker, followed the letter of the law- God’s law. God promised him that He would never let Jerusalem fall into Assyrian power. The Assyrian king had taken control of every land he had come into contact with and forced everyone in them to worship him/his gods. The Assyrian king would send messengers to Hezekiah’s men, badgering them, belittling them, saying horrible things to them, trying to make them doubt that God would keep His promise. Hezekiah was very frustrated with all this- completely in anguish. Hezekiah prayed in 19:15-19 begging God to step in on his behalf and keep his promise. God assured him that he would keep them safe from Assyrian power. God sent word that he had this all planned out beforehand and now it was time to set things into action. God told Hezekiah to push forward and continue to obey Him. God promised that Hezekiah would know that God’s hand was upon him because he would (19:29) eat the gleanings (the leftovers in the fields) the first year, eat whatever he could beg or borrow or steal the second year, but the third year he would be able to sow and reap his own harvest. God then went on to promise that he would fill the king of Assyria with self-doubt based on false rumors. The king would go into hiding. God then said that there would be not even one arrow shot or one shield brandished but that Assyria would never possess Jerusalem. That night, while Hezekiah and his men slept and angel of God killed 185,000 Assyrians!! Hezekiah awoke to find that God had indeed kept his promise!! Chapter 20 goes on to tell how God then performed a miracle in Hezekiah himself- he was dying from an infected boil and he begged God to preserve his life. God did, and proved that it was Him by turning back the hand of the sundial. Hezekiah lived for 15 more years and then his son became king.

I don’t know about all of you but this has spoken to me!! The Assyrian men who said terrible things to Hezekiah’s men remind me of our own stinkin thinkin. We know God’s word. We know God’s promises but we allow Satan’s voice to penetrate our souls and crush our spirits. God has things planned out for us too- He knew us before we were even born!!! Going through tough times will bring us into a fruitful, fertile place where we understand who God is, what He has done for us, and spend our days worshipping Him – as long as we continue to trust Him to carry us through!!!

God will get me out of this funk I’m in. He will give me strength and motivation. He has reminded me that He never breaks His promise by showing me the story of Hezekiah!! If we just keep plugging away, doing what God tells us to do, it (whatever “it” is) will happen- as if an angel came in the night!!!

Tim Sarver- Memories

My brother died when I was newly-married (in a car accident). I remember something really cool about him. He was not much interested in writing letters to people (back before email) but when I went to college he sent me a letter on my birthday. In that letter he gave me some really good advice. He said that sometimes in life we have to figure things out for ourselves. Our parents try their best to guide us in the right direction but sometimes we just have to make our own mistakes and learn from them.

How perfect is that!! He was right! We will not find our own way in life if we don’t go it on our own, make some decisions on our own (with God, of course), make some mistakes on our own. Life is about learning and living. It is not about following a predetermined path. It is about the choices we make. Mistakes happen. Sometimes we make the wrong choices in life but that is okay. That’s how we learn!

I will never forget this sage advice. It helped me through some decision making I had to make and reminds me that life is about living. . . . . . That’s what Tim did. He enjoyed his life. He made mistakes in his life. He learned from his life. He loved his life.