[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Tuesday, October 8, 2013

[Paul]

Hello and good day to you on this Tuesday or, for those of you in Australia and New Zealand, a good early Wednesday morning.  I hope that your day is going well, about to end or about to begin.

I've read the following article written by the late Dr. Ralph Montanus (1919-1986), and I have some problematic hangups with it.  Actually that should have read one problematic hangup.  Will give my opinion following his presentation.  The contribution in question is entitled "Worry Is An Insult To God" and is rendered as follows:

Did you ever think how dreadful it is for a child of God to worry?

The Word of God exhorts us again and again to trust the Lord.

It is impossible for a Christian to trust the Lord and to worry at the same time.  When you are worrying, you are not trusting.  When you are trusting, you are not worrying.  It is just as simple as that.

Now, let us examine for a few moments some of the blessings received by trusting God.  In Proverbs 16:20, we read, "Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he."

If you are worrying instead of trusting, then you are miserable instead of happy.  Yet, God wants His children to be happy.  A happy person is one who does not worry.

I have never met a worrisome person who was a happy person.  One cannot be happy and worry at the same time.  The secret to happiness is found by those who trust in the Lord.

Let us consider another text of Scripture found in Isaiah 26:3, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee:  because he trusteth in Thee." Read this text over several times.  Meditate upon the text for a few minutes.  Now, in the light of this verse, let me ask you.  Where is your mind stayed? On your troubles? Is your mind stayed on yourself? Well, no wonder you're worrying.  No wonder you're heartbroken, miserable and dissatisfied.

Oh that men would trust the Lord! What a difference it makes in one's personality when he is trusting the Lord.  One's entire outlook on life and life's problems changes when trust in the Lord abounds.  Your attitude and disposition change radically when your heart is trusting God.  Joy whelms up in your soul, even in the darkest hour.  Perfect peace becomes yours through trusting the Lord.

I have never met a person who worried and, at the same time, enjoyed the peace of God.  You cannot have peace, perfect peace, and worry.  When worry comes into the heart, peace goes out.  On the other hand, when the peace of God floods the heart, worry vaniches just as darkness is dispelled when light is turned on.

We are exhorted in Proverbs 3:5 and 6, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."

In the light of these glorious promises, does it not become apparent that, for the believer in Christ, to worry is an insult to God?

Trusting in the Lord brings confidence, strength, and peace.  Trusting in the Lord brings a calmness and joy unknown to those outside of Christ.

To worry insults God and leads to doubt, fear, unhappiness, and despair.

Are you a worrying Christian or a trusting Christian?

And now, figuratively speaking, let's put Dr. Montanus' body back in the grave.  Of course we all know where his spirit is, and that is with his Lord.

Personally I would have liked Dr. Montanus to address the subject of a person who is very much concerned about a situation such as a family member or loved one with an incurable disease and that, medically speaking, there is no hope for him or her.  Such a person may approach you and say something like, "It's easy for you to trust God because you've never been in the situation that I'm in right now," unless, of course, you have "been there." Dr. Montanus seemed to imply that all you have to do is trust, believe and have faith, and all will be well.  That ain't necessarily so.  I only used the case of someone with an incurable disease as one of many things I could have mentioned about.  On the other hand, was Dr. Montanus implying continual worry in this article? If so, then I would have to agree with him.  However, not having him on this earth to answer that question, we will probably never know.

In the past I would always glibly say to a grieving person, "Don't worry; just trust the Lord and believe that He can do such-and-such." However, as I grow older, I try to "walk in another person's shoes" and try to understand where they are coming from, realizing that one day I could be that very person for whom someone is grieving.  I hope that I'm making sense in my remarks here.

And now until tomorrow when, Lord willing another Daily Thought message will be presented, may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul