Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Today was an unseasonably crisp, cool day for July 3rd in Arkansas. We awoke to a low of approximately 55 degrees, with a bright sunny sky overhead. I picked up Timothy about 9:30 and took him to get a haircut. Then we returned to his house and retrieved his mom, his sister Zola, and baby brother Nathan… and off we went to the city park to play. A little while later, my husband joined us there (thankfully)… it pretty well took all three of us to watch all three children!
But the little ones didn’t have a care in the world. Theirs was an atmosphere of exuberant joy… and complete peace. Their thoughts were on which apparatus to play upon next… who would push them in the swing…the children who came and went and interacted with them. They trusted that we would see to their every need. And when the time came to leave just before noon, they trusted that we would feed them and see that they got home safely. When you are four, two and one, you trust the adults in your life to see that everything goes smoothly and that all of your needs are met. You depend upon your parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to ensure that you are fed, kept clean and tidy, and entertained. So far… so good for our three!
Not all children have such a carefree existence. Some already know the pangs of hunger… the discomfort of living in squalor or not having clean clothes to wear - or even a bed in which to sleep. I know this. I understand that some children lose their ability to trust adults – or anyone else – at a very early age. Still, I believe that children as a group are better able to operate in total faith that someone will meet their needs and care for them than most of us.
I don’t know what age we begin to worry and mistrust. I am fairly certain it is different for each of us. But few of us make it to adulthood with perfect peace and a continual notion that someone else has our back at all times… even God. And therein lies the problem. See, the reason even children can operate in such faith, peace and joy is because God places people in their lives to care for their every need. The reason we can continue to operate in faith and peace as we grow and age is because God always has our back – one way or another. If we will keep our focus on this, nothing can rattle us.
Troubles will come…there will be bumps in the road some days – and downright potholes on others. But when we trust God and keep our thoughts fixed on Him… pleasing Him, serving Him, and trusting Him… we can have peace and joy even in the midst of our worst, most difficult day.
We all know that every July 3rd in Arkansas will not be cool and crisp. We all understand that we can’t play in the park with the abandonment of young children every day. But when we trust in God to meet our needs and handle our cares, every day can have the joy and peace that little ones seem to find so readily in even the most mundane – or unpleasant - circumstances. Are you ready to trust God with childlike faith? Are you ready to receive the serenity and calm that He can provide in all situations? Will today be the day you “let go and let God” once and for all? Shouldn’t it be?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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