Mountain or Mole Hill?
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Psalm 33:21
No one ever promised us an easy life, did they? Even the Bible talks about how we need to stay alert and anticipate problems. Isn’t that right? Well, at least in part. God’s Word tells us that troubles will befall us, hang around, beat us up and do some serious damage to our lives…if we let them. We need to differentiate between actual problems and anticipated problems. How much time do we spend looking for monsters behind each big rock? The truth is, we can’t see what is behind the big them until we get right up there and examine things. (Please note that examine is a present tense verb.)
Here is where things get scary. Our negative self-talk kicks in and we begin fraying at the seams. Our words of self-hate take over and our confidence all but disappears. We have not even seen the problems (if they exist) but only a few big boulders that are in the way. How do we even know they are going to produce trials and tribulations? Oh, how quickly we jump on things like this and make too much of nothing—mountains out of mole hills. What a total waste of energy!
Again, I urge all of us to live only in the present. That is where our Redeemer can be found. While He knows the future and may prepare us for the days to come, we are not there yet. He desires that we stay in today and take each day as it comes to us. If there are dangers lurking behind the big piles of stones, the first thing to do is thank God that we are not alone. This kind of gratitude forces us to live in the present.
He has brought us through so much, especially in the past few years. Wisdom tells us there is no need to go out looking for trouble. However, rest assured that when it comes—and it will—we can rejoice because of the trust we’ve garnered from previous experiences. Our hearts can sing a new song as we joyfully praise Him for all that He has done for us.
Heavenly Father, our minds wander as we are caught up in the storms of yesterday and the hype of tomorrow. Please help us focus on Your love and mercy that has brought us through each trial. Keep us ever mindful of our need for You in this day. AMEN.