Pennsylvania Conference

“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Ps. 55:22, KJV).

The day had been long. The boss was less than kind or fair, I felt. It had been so busy. I was tired and grumpy, feeling sorry for myself. Ungodly thoughts repeatedly raced through my mind, making me feel worse and worse. Have you ever experienced similar days? Or weeks?

The thought came to me, You don’t have to keep making yourself miserable. There’s a much better way. I replaced my negative thought with this reflection:

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please” (Isa. 55:11, NKJV).

As an accountant by profession, I have often counseled my clients, wherever appropriate, to prove God’s Word when it comes to finances. I know this also from personal experience.

Several years ago, I was visiting my former church in New York when a call was made for donations for a special project. I debated whether to respond, as I had only $20 in my wallet. I knew that I would need cash to pay the tolls on my way back home to Pennsylvania. As the appeal continued, I made the decision to respond and gave the $20 bill. I figured I could stop at an ATM later to withdraw funds for the trip home.

“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Ps. 34:7, NKJV).

This verse is so powerful because it reminds us that God is always ready to deliver us, and that we have no reason to be afraid. In my personal experience, I found Psalms 34:7 to be true.

A few years ago, my house caught on fire. My family was at church when it happened, so luckily no one was injured. One of our friends, however, was living with us at the time. She stayed home that Sabbath to watch a couple of baby birds we had found the day before.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and hope” (Jer. 29:11, ESV).

I like this Bible verse because it says God knows what will happen throughout your life, through all your troubles, hardships and times of despair. I think of these as wars between God and Satan, between your guardian angel and Satan’s demons.

But just as God knows the outcome of the whole universe, you choose the outcome of your battles; whether or not you’ll let something ruin your day or try to see the good that can come out of a bad situation. We’ve all had our times of trial. For some it may not have been as bad as others, but it’s up to you whether you choose to let the demons win or let God take command.