Giving God The Tools To Do The Job

Have you ever had the rug pulled out right from under you? If you have or if you are experiencing it right now then you know it is a very devastating experience. Your whole world the way you knew it is changed forever in an instant. You are lost, scared, and in a lot of emotional pain. The experience may come from someone betraying you, from life threatening health issues, from divorce, from the death of a loved one, from the loss of a job, etc. There are different things that can cause this unbelievably stressful time in our lives but the feelings that we deal with are the same. We feel crushed, not knowing where we are going to even find our next breath, or if we even want to sometimes.

I can remember people trying to offer me kind words and encouragement as I was dealing with my divorce. I would smile and thank them. For a moment or for a while I would feel better but then the empty darkness would return and the pain would roll over me again like the tide coming in, flooding me with anguish and desperation.

All that was left was my desperate cry in faith for peace. At first I cried out in faith for peace, but found none. Why was God not answering me? “God you are my only chance! I can’t take this anymore! Please help me!” The problem was I was asking Him to help me but I was not giving Him the tools to do so. How can you expect a surgeon to operate on you and remove the cancer if you don’t give him his scalpel and other tools to do it with?

First we need to throw one tool away. This tool is fear. Fear is Satan’s tool. Fear is the doubt that Satan puts in our mind to mislead us and pull us away from God. Fear is our lack of trust in God’s ability to take care of us and handle what we are going through.

Trust is the first tool we need to turn over to God. How can you expect God to give you peace if you don’t fully trust Him and turn it all over to Him.

Prayer is the next very powerful tool that we need to give to God. We need to keep our connection to God open. How can we expect to be able to deal with things if we do not have a close prayer relationship with God?

Thankfulness is another tool we need to give to God. Yes thankfulness. When we are suffering we often forget or loose sight of the wonderful blessings that we DO have. For me, the one I focused on was my children. If nothing else, I could thank God every day for the blessing of my children. Take time and make a list of your blessings big and small. It may be hard at first to think of them, but after a while it gets easier and more joyful too. Then when you are feeling down you can read over them and offer a prayer of thanks.

The more tools we give to God the more He blesses us. When He blesses us, new tools appear for us to turn over to Him. Hope is one of these tools. When we have faith in God and trust in Him during difficult times we find our hope again. When we turn it over to Him, God fills it up until it is overflowing. Then more tools will appear like peace, contentment, courage, etc. We forget sometimes when we are in pain, that the greatest tool of all is God’s love. To give God this tool to use all we have to do is reach out to Him and call on Him.

You see the real story is that God always had the tools and always will. You just needed to believe this and believe in Him. I have three poems that show the way God can heals us if we trust in Him. They show a progression that I went through. Where are you in your progression today? I pray that you will give God the tools He needs to make you stronger in your walk with Him.



Sound Of Light

Down and at my lowest I take this time to pray
Lord speak to me please
I’m alone now and I don’t know what to say

In silence I wait impatiently listening for Him
Lord speak to me please
The door is open and I want you to come in

FaithfulToOne © 2005


Psalm 37:3-10
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. 9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. 10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.



Survive

Unable to get a good night’s rest
The weight presses heavy on my chest
It threatens to take my very breath

Can I survive…

A future bleak from all lost hope
Pulls tighter on the noose’s rope
Loneliness choking me inside

Can I survive…

A desperate cry that no one hears
Now all that is shed are silent tears
Defeat shadows with no help in sight

Can I survive…

Depression’s poison flows in my veins
Addicted to my brokenhearted pains
Each new day’s unrest I can’t dissuade

Can I survive…

Exhaustion’s reward shows little peace
I pray each day that this pain will cease
Gripping tightly to my faith I cry

I will survive.

FaithfulToOne © 1998


Psalm 34:15-19
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;



Safe

My past a whisper in the wind
A tranquil quiet gentle breeze
Gusts no longer howl or blow
God heard my weakening pleas

Angels were sent to block the gales
Through the storms of raining tears
And now like the waters washed away
They have vanquished all my fears

I once stood frayed and frightened
In piercing winds and roaring thunder
Then lightening stuck in raging anger
Its target missed I stood with wonder

Still dazed I felt heaven’s warm embrace
My faith looked up into eyes of love
Safe and secure my head bows in prayer
God has heard me and smiled from above

FaithfulToOne © 2006


Matthew 2: 27
27The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"