Saturday, December 13, 2008
Consistancy&Casting your cares upon Him
Just about everyone loves Autumn. It's beautiful outside when the leaves change color and fall off the trees. Something about it is very special. Maybe it's being able to watch the leaves' color change from a brilliant green to a gold, an orange, and a red. Or maybe it's knowing that winter is just around the corner. Fall is just one of the things that shows us that nothing ever stays the same in this world. It's constantly changing. Political leaders change, governments change, Clothing styles change, hair styles change, friends change, relationships change. Things come and go. But isn't it a comfort to know that in the midst of our ever-changing world, we have one thing that NEVER changes. We have a never-changing God.
Malachi 3:6 says, "For I am the Lord, I do not change." Isn't that neat? Even though everything around us seems to change, even the very earth itself shifts in different places at times, but God says, "I never change."
In the New Testament we find another example of our never-changing God.Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." That should be extemely exciting to you! His love never changes. His mercy never changes. His goodness never changes. His ability to provide and meet our needs never changes. His holiness never changes. His justice never changes. I could go on and on.
So if we know He never changes and none of the things about Him ever changes, then how come we find it so hard to let Him take care of our problems for us? How come we complain about not having a friend that we can share everything with? How can we say we have nobody that truly cares about us? Jesus is the ultimate best friend. He's the only one who can say, "I understand" and really mean it. He's the only one who is always there for you when you need Him, and He wants you to cast all your cares upon Him.
In Hebrews 4:15-16 we read, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldy to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." The first verse is telling us that Jesus Christ, our High Priest, is a feeling person. He can feel our pain and our infirmities. He was tempted like we are, and He knows what it's like. He knows what we're going through. The next verse goes on to tell us to come boldly before the throne so that we can have grace and mercy that will help us in our time of need.
There are times when we pray, and we long to pour out our heart to God, but for whatever reason, we can't. I encourage you to talk to God just like you would talk to one of your good, close friends- the one with whom you can pour out your heart and be completely unafraid. Go boldly before the throne of God. Tell Him the things that are on your heart. Tell Him your hurts and your pains. Your dissapointments. Your struggles. The things you are tempted by. Don't think, "Ohh I can't tell God this." Please. He already knows. It says in 1 Peter 5:7 to "Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you." God gives us permission to come boldy before Him and give Him all of our problems. He wants to take care of them for us, so we don't have to.
Next time you get discouraged, stop and think for a moment. No matter what else changes around you, God in all of His greatness, and might, and majesty, will never change. In an ever-changing world, He is a never-changing God. Come boldly before Him and tell Him what's up. Tell Him what's going on, and how you're feeling. And then enjoy the release, and rest assured that He cares, and that He's the one that can actually do something about it.
I LOVE YOU 2:54 PM
