Is it me or are we surrounded by people with problems? Perhaps it comes with my job – being a pastor- but I do not know a single person who doesn’t have a problem. I get calls several times a week of people telling me their problems. Of course, their problems range in severity, but they are problems to them regardless.

Having lived 41 years, which is a long time compared to the lifespan of vast majority of human beings in history, I’m convinced that this life will never be without problems. We go from one problem to another. When we have just gotten out of one and about to take a breather, another problem hits. Problems wouldn’t be problems if they didn’t persist in being problems and they come in droves it seems….

I honestly do not know how non-Christians do it. In certain aspects, I admire them. How they can live day after day without knowing that it will never really get better. What hope do they have to keep living? Is it just a case of not having thought through it enough? Or perhaps they have strength I do not have. Maybe God knew that I was too weak to rely on myself and thus He gave Himself to me.

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress” Ps. 107:6
“They they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.” Ps. 107:13
“They they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.” Ps. 107:19
“They they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.” Ps. 107:28

I would’ve stopped after the third time if I were God of delivering them from their distress. It seems that they only came to Him to get them out of their distress. But He does it over and over and over. How great is the love of God? (v. 43 of the same Psalm)

There were people that came and have gone before us. There will be people that will come after us. We are just a thread in the tapestry of history. But God is the one weaving. We may not see how our problems fit into it all. But when we get a chance finally to step back and look at all of history, I have a feeling we will marvel at what God had been weaving the whole time. We get to take a part in it!

You are more than what your eyes see in the mirror!

PH