Strength for Today

Lewis Jackson would like to have skipped at least one day in his life. He was driving along when the throttle on his car stuck. This caused him to plunge into a new car sales room. Crashing through a heavy wooden door, he sideswiped two glistening cars on the showroom floor, ran head-on into a new convertible and then struck another car. The irony of the situation was that over the door was a sign: “We need your car – drive in!”

You could probably recall several days you could have skipped, like the day you were going to the beach and your sink started to leak. You tried to call the plumber but your phone was out of order. When you finally reached him, he couldn’t come for a week. You tackled it yourself and spent your entire day off fixing the leaky pipe.

When things go awry, we are prone to vent our emotions and become angry at the world. In times like these, you need to let your roots go deeper and your faith higher. In times of stress and strain, the human tendency is to raise your voice, vent emotions and point an accusing finger at circumstances, making life miserable for everyone else. When you’re having one of those days, lift your eyes toward heaven and say, “Lord, help me to act as You would if You were in my shoes.”

God never promised to exempt you from the consequences of living in a broken world (including accelerators that stick and water pipes that burst), but He promised to be with you. That’s why Paul and Silas, in chains in prison, could lift their voices in song and praise God. Troubles are part of life. Finding God’s help in the storms of life is what grace is about.

Used with permission from Guidelines International Ministries. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, send an e-mail to info@guidelines.org. You may also visit www.guidelines.org.