Thursday, June 21, 2012
1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
PEBBLES IN OUR SHOES
Imagine a beautiful, sunny day. Your plan is to hike a mountain trail. But after walking for a while, you notice that there is a pebble in your shoe. Well, you don't want to bother sitting down and taking your shoe off, so you try to ignore it and enjoy your hike anyway. It may not take long for the pebble in your shoe to seem bigger than the entire mountain you're climbing!
Do you remember what our text said? It said: "In everything give thanks." When you first heard it, did you wonder about it? In EVERYTHING give thanks?
God wants to deliver us from the very worst things, such as sin, guilt, and eternal death. He does not want us to go to hell. He does want us to live forever with Him in Paradise. Since that is what He wants, He is going to do everything necessary to make it possible. "Everything" includes sending His beloved Son Jesus Christ to suffer and die on the cross for us. He punished Jesus for our sins, so that we need not be punished. And Jesus was willing to do it because of His great love for us.
God knows when to give us things that make life fun and cozy. He also knows when something uncomfortable is needed.
He may place a pebble in our shoe so that we must sit down, remove it, and therefore won't reach a point on the trail at the same time when the mountain lion does. On occasion, the pebble slows us down that we may more fully appreciate the many things He has placed along the way for us to enjoy. It may serve just to keep us humble. God knows just what to provide for us and how to make it all work together for us to eventually join Him in heaven (Romans 8:28). Thank God for everything, even for the pebbles in our shoes.
-- Abridged from the "Lutheran Spokesman," June 1999
