Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

"Cast your burden on the Lord and He shall
sustain you."   Psalm 55:22

Sometime ago I came across this often quoted prayer:
"God grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot
change, the courage to change the things I can, and
wisdom to know the difference."  This prayer expresses
an important thought:  one I think we should all pray
and live.

Some things in life just cannot be changed know
matter how much we try, and of course some things
can  Some things God has given to us as fixed realities
that we must accept.  And some things He would have
us not accept, but, with His help, work to change.
If we fail to do both of these, to accept some things
and work to change others, we will end up suffering with
worry, undeserved guilt, and frustration.

Someone, I'm not sure who, said, "Worry is the interest
paid on trouble before it comes due."  Instead, God would
have us learn to trust Him. "Cast your burden on the Lord
and He shall sustain you"

Prayer:

Oh Lord take all the suffering, worry, guilt and frustration
from me.  Lord I give you my burden because I know
you will sustain me.  AMEN

How have you known the power of God's
love in your life?

No, despite all these things, overwhelming
victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
Romans 8:37 NLT

O Love that will not let me go

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
O Love That Will Not Let Me Go,
GEORGE MATHESON (1842-1906)

George Matheson went completely blind when he
was eighteen years old. Still, he remained a star
student. He went on to become a great preacher
in the Church of Scotland, assisted by his sister,
who learned Greek and Hebrew to help with his
research.

This hymn was written on the evening of June 6,
1882. "I was at that time alone," Matheson later
wrote. "It was the day of my sister's marriage.…
Something happened to me, which was known only
to myself, and which caused me the most severe
mental suffering. The hymn was the fruit of that
suffering."

What was it that happened to him? Some think
he was remembering the time he himself was
engaged to be married and his fiancee broke the
engagement when she learned that he would soon
be completely blind. Or perhaps it was difficult for
him to have his devoted sister getting married. In
any case, he was led to ponder God's eternal love,
which would turn his "flick'ring torch" into blazing
daylight.

adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by
Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House
Publishers (1995), entry for March 8
Love is not something you feel. It's something you
do.      DAVID WILKERSON