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

[Linda Mentink]

Paul,

I think he means that all will be well in God's sovereignty. We don't 
always think or believe that God has His best in mind for us, even 
though He does. Those who completely trust in God believe that He 
will take care of them in all they go through. He knows who are His 
elect, and who are not, and He knows and allows all that happens to 
His own, and to those who are not His own, and may never be. Did all 
that make sense?

Blessings,

Linda

At 04:11 PM 10/8/2013, you wrote:
>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
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