Advent Day Fourteen

Have you ever heard the saying, “How do you eat an elephant?...... One bite at a time.”  That elephant is our busy lives.  We look at bills, work, kids, inflation, stock market, gas prices, spiritual battles, war and crime, and all the disagreements and hatred in the world.  That is one huge elephant.  Now, bring that down to our little bubbles and we not only have bills, work, and kids, now we have home maintenance, health insurance, church work, relationships, Thanksgiving and Christmas, snow removal, car problems…. I could go on and on.  This elephant seems like it is growing every day.  So how do we deal with it, how do we knock it down to size?  “ONE BITE AT A TIME.”  I have found that praying for the LORD to give me direction is the place to start.  My prayer is this, 

“LORD please help me to know what bite to take first.  This is a huge elephant; a huge job and I can not do this with my own strength.  I need you.  Please LORD GOD help me to listen and follow your leading.  Help me to put you first, so I can take care of this elephant one bite at a time.  It is so overwhelming, but the elephant is so small compared to you.  May your will be done in my life.  Thank you, LORD, for your presence.  Amen.”

Proverbs 19:21

English Standard Version

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

New International Version

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

I hold on to this verse when life gets crazy because it reminds me that it is not all about me and what I think needs to get done.  We can get so busy that we forget that God is right beside us and willing to take the entire elephant for us.  This all sounds good and easy, right?  But, it really comes down to what we believe and how we deal with things.  For example, if I say that I trust in the LORD’s plan and purpose but then all you can see in me is worry and anxiety, then what is true?  The truth is that I say one thing and do another.  We must line up our beliefs with our actions.  I remember the story of ‘the little train that could’.  The train was going towards a huge hill.  He was not sure if he could pull all the train cars up that hill, but he believed.  So he would repeat out

loud, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…” until he did.  He made it all the way up that big old hill.  If we repeat this verse, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.  Many plans are in my heart, but it is my LORD’s purpose that overcomes.”  We will begin to see the elephant the way God does, small and just one little part of the whole puzzle.

So when you get overwhelmed and all you can see is this huge elephant in front of you.  STOP.  PRAY. And remember that no matter what happens in your life it did not surprise God and His purpose will prevail.  You are on His side so you have nothing to worry about.  God is Good!!!