Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; Proverbs 3:5 

 

A friend who'd undergone surgery was confined to crutches for a few months. What a challenge! Sometimes you'd find him panting at the top of the stairs. When you looked at his hands they were often red and sore. You see, leaning on crutches can be exhausting. So can leaning on your own understanding! If you want to have a really bad day - exclude God! Try working things out using your own best judgment. Chase down every possibility. When you hit a dead-end street, back out and then turn down another one. When that gets you nowhere, try a little manipulation, then some panic. Now look back and see where you've been! Know what? Some of us have a quiet, hidden love for worry. When one worry's gone, we immediately replace it with another. There's always a line of them at the back door waiting to get in. We actually enjoy entertaining them. They're our mental and emotional companions. But Jesus says they're a waste of time. Why? Because worry preoccupies your mind and keeps you from enjoying what you have. (See Matthew 6:25). Paul writes, (a) 'Do not worry about anything (b) pray and ask God for everything you need (c) always giving thanks (d) God's peace...will keep your hearts and minds...' (Philippians 4:6-7). Worry is assuming responsibilities you can't handle. The truth is that God never intended you to handle them - because they're His. So give them to Him today – and enjoy the day!