21-Day Fast, Day 14
A man had spent most of his life building his business and creating a fortune at the expense of his family and friends. His personal life ended in shambles as his wife divorced him and left him alone with his fortune. In an attempt to find peace and start over the rich man searched out and found a small farmhouse in another state.
The farmhouse needed many repairs that the rich man was not equipped to accomplish by himself. The rich man drove to a small town nearby and was fortunate enough to find a handyman that agreed to help the rich man with the repairs.
After several days of working together the two men developed a friendship. One evening as they were finishing for the day the handyman asked the rich man to come to his home for supper. The rich man gladly accepted and followed the handyman to his modest home. As the handyman started to walk into his home he stopped and gently tugged on a leaf of a tree by the back door. The rich man did not think much of it probably just a bug on the leaf. The rich man enjoyed a great supper with the handyman and his family so much so that the evening supper became a regular routine. Every time before the handyman enter his home he would tug on a leaf on the tree. Curiosity finally got the best of the rich man, so he asked the handyman, “why do you tug on a leaf of your tree before you enter your home?’”
The handyman replied, “I always hang all my problems, worries on MY WORRY TREE before coming inside to my family because my family deserves my time and I want to enjoy my family time without thinking about my problems.” The rich man thought to himself, boy I wished I had thought of that years ago, I might still have my family and friends!!
We all have such a tree in our lives, but ours’ is not a worry tree it is THE TREE of LIFE—JESUS CHRIST!!
1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Psalms 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
The apostle refers, 1 Pet. 5:7. Care is a burden; it makes the heart stoop (Prov. 12:25); we must cast it upon God by faith and prayer, commit our way and works to Him; let Him do as seemed Him good, and we will be satisfied. To cast our burden upon God is to stay ourselves on His providence and promise, and to be extremely easy in the assurance that all shall work for good. If we do so, it is promised.
that He will sustain us, both support and supply us, will Himself carry us in the arms of his power, as the nurse carries the sucking-child, will strengthen our spirits so by His Spirit as that they shall sustain the infirmity.
That He will never suffer the righteous to be moved, to be so shaken by any troubles as to quit either their duty to God or their comfort in Him. However, He will not suffer them to be moved forever; though they fall, they shall not be utterly cast down.
Pray:
Heavenly Father give us strength to lay our cares down at your feet and leave them there. Let us not be ashamed of still having many problems and cares of this world and fully recognize that by bringing them to YOU it is an act of obedience which YOU will honor.--Amen