Recently at the lumber store I saw a man who broke my heart. Perhaps age 55 to 60 and likely a combat injured veteran, he shuffled along, leaning on his walker. He had one prosthetic leg, and his other leg was barely functional. He appeared to be on oxygen. To top it off, his face and arms looked like he was in a paintball fight and the opponent was using brown paintballs. I wished I could have engaged him. To be out in public despite his obvious limitations and not hiding from view said a lot about his character. What a tough guy!

Do you have problems? How do you respond to them? Do you run from them, or do they they run your life? Are they what you always think about? Are you anxious about them? Do you lose sleep over them? 

Children take their problems to their father and so must we. Look at them as opportunities for the Lord to show His love and Himself strong, for Him to be glorified as we rest and trust Him. The Israelites questioned God’s goodness when complaining in the desert, and we can indirectly too regarding our problems. Oh my brothers, God is good, always, and gives us good things. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Could your problems be results of bad choices? Might they be natural consequences? Also never rule out possible chastening from the Lord. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6).