Worries Must Yield

God lives and works today. Have you ever stopped to think what this means? Or do you have too many other things to think and worry about than to spend much time thinking about God? Today's meditation by Basilea Schlink shares a true story of how one woman learned to master her worries with God's help. Oh, I can't continue much longer like this.

At night I can hardly sleep. All I do is worry, worry, worry. Worries, I know them very well.

But one day an experience a friend of mine had helped me to tackle my worries and be victorious. Through some unfortunate circumstances, this friend had to take a lot of small children into her fashionable home. She had nothing against children, but in her mind's eye she could see her beautiful dowry and all her elegant furniture being ruined.

What wouldn't the children damage? The woman tormented herself with all these worries. Should she just close off certain rooms? Should she take some of her furniture and let someone else keep it for a while? Suddenly, one morning the woman's face was completely changed. What had happened? Had a letter come to say that the family with all the children was not going to come? No.

This woman had spoken with God that night about her worries. And God had said, Give up this cupboard. Give me this rug.

Give me everything your heart is clinging to. And the woman did that. From that moment on she was free of worries.

With a radiant face she later told us, Now everything is in order. God has taken over the responsibility for everything. I've put everything into his hands.

That makes sense to me. I can see that my worries probably come because I want to hold on to something. But how can I really lay everything in his hands? For me, the first step is always a prayer of surrender.

But how can I pray it when it is so hard to give up a certain wish, hope, loved one or object? Because I know that Jesus acts according to his word. And he has said, There is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the gospel who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time and in the age to come. Yes, God does not let us give him anything without repaying us a hundredfold.

As a father, he keeps his promises to take care of us. And he cares and fatherly love, especially for those who have surrendered everything that has been important to them to him. Since then, my life has changed.

Although externally, my problems and troubles have always stayed the same. But now I know for sure. The father takes the responsibility for everything that I have given to him.

How rich and happy I've been ever since then. Try the same thing. The father does care for you and for me.

You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N dot org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet.

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