As I was “walking” on my elliptical machine this morning, I suddenly heard several metallic pings on the floor. I got down on my knees and finally found a nut, bolt, and washer. Looking for their proper place on the black machine was hopeless. I knew these eyes would never find it, so my dogs got a surprise. I walked with them for the first time in months. Not for long, though, because I tripped three times in five minutes, once over a root and twice over vines. After that I gave up—this was too dangerous.
So all my careful plans had come to nothing. We bought this machine because I could not walk outside safely any longer and expected that to take care of everything from now on. I can even “walk” on it when I am totally blind, right? The problem is I was counting on something manmade, and sure enough, it let me down. Yes, Keith can put it back together, but how long till this happens again? And how long till it breaks completely? I simply cannot rely on it to work right forever.
Yet we do this all the time with things far more important than taking a walk. We make solid investments, have good life insurance policies, and work for companies with good pension plans. What happens when the economy goes south, when prices double in a few days’ time and suddenly that monthly income we had worked so hard to have coming in after retirement will barely cover two weeks?
We take good care of ourselves, having annual check-ups, eating right, taking our vitamins, and exercising regularly. What happens when the tests come back positive?
We can depend upon ourselves for absolutely nothing in this life, but we don’t seem to get that. We treat God like the spare tires in our trunks, dinky little donuts we only use when necessary, and only until we can get our own tires fixed up and rolling again. What we fail to realize is when we rely on ourselves we are traveling everywhere on four dinky donuts that could go flat any time, while God has some big steel-belted radials handy if we would only stop and put them on!
God is the only thing you can count on. There is nothing wrong with being good stewards of the blessings God has given us, but there is everything wrong with trusting our own stewardship instead of the Giver of those blessings Himself.
My soul, wait in silence for God only; For my expectation is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation: He is my high tower; I shall not be moved. With God is my salvation and my glory: The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times, you people; Pour out your hearts before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalm 62:5-8
Dene Ward
(For hints, help, and instructions on using this blog, click on the FAQ/Tutorial page on the left sidebar.)
So all my careful plans had come to nothing. We bought this machine because I could not walk outside safely any longer and expected that to take care of everything from now on. I can even “walk” on it when I am totally blind, right? The problem is I was counting on something manmade, and sure enough, it let me down. Yes, Keith can put it back together, but how long till this happens again? And how long till it breaks completely? I simply cannot rely on it to work right forever.
Yet we do this all the time with things far more important than taking a walk. We make solid investments, have good life insurance policies, and work for companies with good pension plans. What happens when the economy goes south, when prices double in a few days’ time and suddenly that monthly income we had worked so hard to have coming in after retirement will barely cover two weeks?
We take good care of ourselves, having annual check-ups, eating right, taking our vitamins, and exercising regularly. What happens when the tests come back positive?
We can depend upon ourselves for absolutely nothing in this life, but we don’t seem to get that. We treat God like the spare tires in our trunks, dinky little donuts we only use when necessary, and only until we can get our own tires fixed up and rolling again. What we fail to realize is when we rely on ourselves we are traveling everywhere on four dinky donuts that could go flat any time, while God has some big steel-belted radials handy if we would only stop and put them on!
God is the only thing you can count on. There is nothing wrong with being good stewards of the blessings God has given us, but there is everything wrong with trusting our own stewardship instead of the Giver of those blessings Himself.
My soul, wait in silence for God only; For my expectation is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation: He is my high tower; I shall not be moved. With God is my salvation and my glory: The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times, you people; Pour out your hearts before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalm 62:5-8
Dene Ward
(For hints, help, and instructions on using this blog, click on the FAQ/Tutorial page on the left sidebar.)
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