Perspective?

(05.13.21 – Despising God -1 Samuel 17:26)

My friend, may I ask you a question? When we choose to see our problems as obstacles, something to try to find our way around instead of something that can be tackled head-on, do we often end up making the problem bigger and deeper than it is?

My friend, life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

The best way through a problem is straight ahead. Have you ever heard that said? Take, for example, the Biblical giant Goliath. The Israelites had two choices presented to them. They could go and do a personal, one-on-one battle with him as he wanted them to, or they could find a way around him without having to fight him. They chose to go around Goliath by trying to ignore him. David, the shepherd boy, on the other hand, chose to go straight ahead and do as Goliath pro- posed: commit to a one-on-one battle with the formidable giant. For him Goliath was not a GIANT problem; Goliath was a giant who was a PROBLEM. And he knew that in God’s eyes Goliath was nothing more than a speck, just another big man filled with himself. David, by choosing to use God's eyes to see the problem, attacked the problem from God's perspective, not his, and Goliath was defeated.

When we choose to see our problems as obstacles, something to try to find our way around instead of something that can be tackled head-on, we often end up making the problem bigger and deeper than it is. We lose perspective and the problem looms larger and more foreboding than it really is.

Here's a story: An old farmer had plowed around a large rock in one of his fields for years. Year after year he'd hit the same rock with his plow. He had broken several plowshares and a cultivator on it. Nevertheless, it just seemed like too much work to do anything about the rock other than push around it once he'd hit it. After breaking another plowshare one fall, and remembering all the trouble the rock had caused him through the years, he finally determined to do something about it. Anticipating a large rock that would take considerable effort to dislodge, he armed himself with every tool possible that could make the digging easier. Finally he decided on a crowbar. When he put his crowbar under the rock it flipped up exposing a flat underside. After all of these years he was surprised to discover that what he thought was a huge boulder was only about six inches thick and that he could break it up easily with a small sledgehammer. (Bits and Pieces)

When it comes to many of life's more troubling problems, we often tell ourselves we'll come back and tackle it later. What often happens is we never do. Despite the fact that the obstacle keeps reappearing over and over, we're usually hesitant to take the time to fix it and be done with it. When we're tempted to go around our problems time and time again, we had best stop and ask if the cost in time and money and trouble is worth it. We may find what seemed a giant of a problem was only giant part of our imagination to begin with. Straight ahead beats going around every time.

We pray. Heavenly Father, When it comes to many of life's more troubling problems, we often tell ourselves we'll come back and tackle it later. What often happens Lord is we never do. Despite the fact that the obstacle keeps reappearing over and over, we're usually hesitant to take the time to fix it and be done with it. Forgive us for being obstinate. When we're tempted to go around our problems time and time again, help us to determine that trusting You and not ourselves is the best choice. We may find what seemed a giant of a problem was only giant part of our imagination to begin with. Straight ahead beats going around every time. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.

Perspective?

(05.13.21 – Despising God -1 Samuel 17:26)

My friend, may I ask you a question? When we choose to see our problems as obstacles, something to try to find our way around instead of something that can be tackled head-on, do we often end up making the problem bigger and deeper than it is?

My friend, life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

The best way through a problem is straight ahead. Have you ever heard that said? Take, for example, the Biblical giant Goliath. The Israelites had two choices presented to them. They could go and do a personal, one-on-one battle with him as he wanted them to, or they could find a way around him without having to fight him. They chose to go around Goliath by trying to ignore him. David, the shepherd boy, on the other hand, chose to go straight ahead and do as Goliath pro- posed: commit to a one-on-one battle with the formidable giant. For him Goliath was not a GIANT problem; Goliath was a giant who was a PROBLEM. And he knew that in God’s eyes Goliath was nothing more than a speck, just another big man filled with himself. David, by choosing to use God's eyes to see the problem, attacked the problem from God's perspective, not his, and Goliath was defeated.

When we choose to see our problems as obstacles, something to try to find our way around instead of something that can be tackled head-on, we often end up making the problem bigger and deeper than it is. We lose perspective and the problem looms larger and more foreboding than it really is.

Here's a story: An old farmer had plowed around a large rock in one of his fields for years. Year after year he'd hit the same rock with his plow. He had broken several plowshares and a cultivator on it. Nevertheless, it just seemed like too much work to do anything about the rock other than push around it once he'd hit it. After breaking another plowshare one fall, and remembering all the trouble the rock had caused him through the years, he finally determined to do something about it. Anticipating a large rock that would take considerable effort to dislodge, he armed himself with every tool possible that could make the digging easier. Finally he decided on a crowbar. When he put his crowbar under the rock it flipped up exposing a flat underside. After all of these years he was surprised to discover that what he thought was a huge boulder was only about six inches thick and that he could break it up easily with a small sledgehammer. (Bits and Pieces)

When it comes to many of life's more troubling problems, we often tell ourselves we'll come back and tackle it later. What often happens is we never do. Despite the fact that the obstacle keeps reappearing over and over, we're usually hesitant to take the time to fix it and be done with it. When we're tempted to go around our problems time and time again, we had best stop and ask if the cost in time and money and trouble is worth it. We may find what seemed a giant of a problem was only giant part of our imagination to begin with. Straight ahead beats going around every time.

We pray. Heavenly Father, When it comes to many of life's more troubling problems, we often tell ourselves we'll come back and tackle it later. What often happens Lord is we never do. Despite the fact that the obstacle keeps reappearing over and over, we're usually hesitant to take the time to fix it and be done with it. Forgive us for being obstinate. When we're tempted to go around our problems time and time again, help us to determine that trusting You and not ourselves is the best choice. We may find what seemed a giant of a problem was only giant part of our imagination to begin with. Straight ahead beats going around every time. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.