Looking to God When Times Get Tough

I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth! – Psalm 121:1-2

Have you ever seen the moon rise on a clear Fall night? The moon looks enormous on the horizon. And yet, just a few hours later when the moon rises higher in the sky, it looks small again. It isn’t that the moon has changed in size. It isn’t that the earth is farther away from the moon. It’s a matter of perspective.

The same thing is true when we’ve got a problem. If we focus on our problem against the limited horizon of our own resources, our problem can seem enormous. But if we view our problem against the unlimited resources of our great God, our problems seem so much smaller.

When you’ve got a problem, which do you do – stare at your problem or look up to God for help? For effective Christian living you need to stop focusing on the problem, and start focusing on the power of God in your life. Things won’t look the same!

Bringing It Home
1. What challenges are you facing right now? Are you fixated on the problem, or are you focusing on God’s power? The choice is yours. Give your challenges to God! Pray Psalm 121 to gain the inner freedom to “let go and let God.”

2. Who can you remind today of the great resources of our great God? Your reminder might be just what they need to reorient their focus.

Prayer
God of heaven and earth, thank you for making your unlimited power and resources available to me. Help me always to focus on you instead of my problems. I will trust you with every challenging circumstance I face today. In Jesus’ strong name I pray. Amen.

Jeff Marian
Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, Columbus, OH
www.ualc.org