Minute Meditations

”I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them have never happened.” Mark Twain

We are all a lot like Mark Twain in that most of the things we have worried about never happened. All that worrying wasted on things that never happened! Many have spent sleepless nights listening for non-existent burglars. Others have endured endless agonies over terrible automobile accidents that never took place. Certainly there is enough real trouble in the world that has happened that we should not allow ourselves the luxury of becoming distraught over things that might happen.

We certainly believe that ”the angel of the Lord encampeth round about. them that fear him, and delivereth them.’ Worry over things that haven’t even happened is clearly a lack of faith. There is a great difference between being cautious and worrying. It’s foolish to take unnecessary chances but to allow our imaginations to run wild in all the horrible things that might take place is very foolish. Solomon tells us that ”whoso harkeneth unto me (God) shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” Isaiah declares, ”Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Now we see it becomes a matter of faith and trust. God will do his part. He will keep us in perfect peace if our mind is filled with His thoughts. When we become disturbed over what might be, we are not acknowledging that the angel of the Lord is encamping around us. This does not mean that we will be free of all trouble and tribulation, but it does mean that nothing that happens will be outside the providence of our Heavenly Father. Therefore even the troubles that do come upon us need not disturb our peace of mind. Jesus tells us, ”These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Yes, our Saviour wants us to have peace even while having tribulation in the world. He wants us to be cheerful even while in the midst of our troubles. It surely was this attitude that caused Paul and Silas to be singing in prison at midnight after being beaten. No wonder Paul could cry out, ”I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” We need to remember that we can too.

It’s a great comfort to know that God will never allow us to be tried or tempted beyond that which we can bear but will always provide a way of escape so that we may be able to bear it. When we turn our life over to God, He directs it in every way so that all the good things and all the trials that come to us are ordered by Him and His angel is there to see that all goes well with us. When we fully realize this and believe it, we truly are filled with peace. As David put it, ”Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing will offend them.”

The key to this happy and successful life is to love God’s law and fill our minds with His thoughts. This can only come through constant reading of His Book and prayer. It is then that God takes over and keeps us in perfect peace. When this happens we, with Paul, will be able to view the troubles that come upon us calmly and rejoice in them. Paul said, ”I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.” This is the goal we must seek.

When this happens we will certainly cease to be bothered by troubles that never happen. Mark Twain’s problem will no longer be ours. Not even the troubles that do happen will get us down for we now live unto God therefore with Paul we say, ”I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”