Have you been in a place where you were pressed by way too many needs? Worried about the outcome of something in your life? Wondering how in the world it will turn out?
I’ve definitely been there. Mine came most heavily after Dan died. I was not just crushed by grief but also overwhelmed with the immense task ahead of me. Dan and I had entered this parenting thing together and I could not imagine raising seven kids without him. Teen boys that needed a strong dad, a little boy just coming into his own and our littlest girl who was just starting to know her dad.
On top of all that, Dan’s death brought with it lots of paperwork. I had so many decisions to make, forms to complete, errands to run, calls to make, accounts to set up or close, people to meet with, issues to manage.
But in the midst of life happening hard and fast, God was speaking strong and clear. I seemed to be in constant conversation with Him. He would often bring an old verse to mind and open my eyes to a whole new truth I had never seen before.
One day, I was alone in the car running errands. All kinds of thoughts and emotions coursed through my mind. But in the midst of my worry over the huge tasks on my plate and the grief we were trying to process, God brought to my mind the story of the paralyzed man, whose four friends put him on a mat and took him to Jesus for healing.
Jesus was teaching in a house, but it was so full, the friends couldn’t get in. So the friends went up on the housetop, cut a hole in the roof and lowered the man to the ground right in front of Jesus and the gathered crowd. Now the friends had brought the man for physical healing, but to the astonishment of the scribes and Pharisees in the room, Jesus told the paralyzed man his sins were forgiven. Blasphemy! they thought.
But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, asked them which was easier. “To say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you’ or ‘Rise up and walk?'” Luke 5:22-23
Which is easier? Forgiveness or taking care of what seems like the impossible to us?
This side of the cross, we know Jesus forgives sin. Most of the time, that’s the first thing that draws us to Him. We come to Him and fully trust that our sins are forgiven. But then we worry and wring our hands when life crashes around us and we find ourselves with pressing needs we can’t fix.
I had already trusted Jesus with my eternity. Why would I fret over the other stuff? Which was easier — to forgive my sin or take care of my need? I suddenly realized that the bills and estate work and decisions and raising seven kids to adulthood? That was easy for God.
The same God who forgives us is the same God who will provide for us.
What is worrying you? What is the thing that seems unsolvable or insurmountable? Whatever it is — it is easy for God.
Tangled messes. Deep hurt. Huge loss or grief. Circumstances with little hope. God, who is trustworthy and true with our eternity, is trustworthy with every single circumstance this side of heaven. That is truth we can rest in.
Edited to add: After writing this, I remembered that when I came home and told my kids this truth God had taught me, my oldest son said God had brought this exact story to his mind with a different lesson. Neither of us can remember now what God revealed to him then, but what an awesome, Sovereign God who sent both of us the same story on the same day with such individual application. God is good. In every single detail.
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Wow. Such power and truth here. isn’t it amazing how God confirms things for us in different ways?
I love this: “Why would I trust God with my soul but hang on to angst over everything else?”
Amazing. I need to keep that in mind the next time I start fretting over something.
Thanks for sharing (and for including this post in the #SHINEbloghop)!
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Thanks Lisa….needed this reminder today!!
Thank you Rene!
Whatever it is, it is easy to God.
Love this. Thanks so much.
Do I get pizza? 😀
“I have already trusted him for my eternity. Why would I fret over the other stuff?” What a relief this is!! I am thankful to the Lord for you, and how He is using you in my life! Praying for each of you by name this morning. xo
You are a prayer warrior. Thank you for being there so often!
Thank you Lisa for lifting my unreality back to the Truth. So thankful that He is the keeper of every detail in every circumstance of the living out of my life.
I just realized I wish I could like your comment; but thank you.
Love you Lisa…you always make such an impact and yes…everything is easy to God…and he is so good to us! I have to remind myself every day to (LGLG)…Let go and Let God !
Thank you God for Lisa
So good to hear from you Betty! Tell your sweet daughter I said hello as well. Thank you for your encouragement.
This is so extremely timely for me this afternoon Lisa. After 13 years with his company Dave was let go this morning from his company. They took his car and his phone and have him no severance package! To say I’ve been worried and stressed today would be an understatement. Thank you for your words of wisdom and reminding me that God’s got this!
Oh Melanie, I’m so sorry! I saw David’s post earlier but didn’t know what you all were dealing with. God has already gone before you all in all of it. Even this day was written in His book before it came to be. I will be praying for you all. <3
That is a powerful article Lisa. I almost cried reading it. Thank you for sharing your heart and lessons you have learned. I appreciate your transparency. It is going to help many people. Love you always, Terissa
Love you, friend. <3
This is such a perspective-shifting post. If we are secure in our eternity, why would we concern ourselves with the problems of the present? Why would we not trust God with them? Powerful!
Thanks for linking up to Teach Me Tuesday last week. You are very much appreciated! Hope to see you again this week! http://3glol.net/2014/09/15/teach-tuesday-21/
Have a great week!!
Ouch! I know this is an old post, but I really needed it this morning. I’m guilty of trusting Him for the big things and worrying about the “smaller” things. Thank you for the reminder.
Thank you for this, Lisa! Such inspiring and comforting words here!
Thank you so much for sharing this touching and beautiful post. I had been worrying about my health lately but I have finally gotten to a place where I have give it to God. He has a will and a plan for my life. I am visiting from Tracie Miles blog hop on #stressless. God bless you. ~Shannan
Also I just checked out your blog. It is beautiful and thank you for the printables! I printed out the bookmarks, they are beautiful.
Thank you for visiting Shannan and thank goodness God holds the plan for our life.
awesome reminder
Lisa, you post is wonderful and so timely. I am sorry for your loss but you are right we can not out provide God. He meets our needs. I love the sentence, “The same God who forgives us is the same God who will provide for us.” Visiting you and thanking God for your courage and walk. Blessings Diana Rockwell
Thank you! I find myself needing to remind myself of this quite often! 🙂 It’s always awesome reading other people’s testimonies in life and finding a way to apply it to your own situation!
Hi Lisa! Visiting today from the linkup and was so blessed by this post and the testimony you shared with us! God truly is faithful in ways we see and many we don’t. What you gleaned from what He spoke to you reminded me of several periods in my life where I likely felt much as you describe. One was when my husband was deployed to Vietnam right after learning I was expecting our first baby and walking through 14 scary months without him wondering if he would return while trying to navigate being a new mom. (He did! Praise God!) Another was having both parents die within exactly three months of one another and having the added burden of becoming guardian to a younger brother who was mentally retarded and mentally ill. Thanks again!