Keeping Things in Perspective
"There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed. "The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry hunger no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away. "The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world. He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. "It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder against them from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed." 1 Samuel 2:2-10
One of the most difficult things to do is to keep life in perspective. You oversleep and come out of the bed at 90 miles an hour, banging your shin on the bedside table. In your rush to get dressed, you scorch your pants while trying to press out a few wrinkles and cut yourself shaving (legs or face, depending on your gender!). Dressed at last, you run out the door, slamming it behind you just as you realize that your keys are inside. While you're in the process of breaking in, the local police notice you and you spend the next twenty minutes explaining that it's your house. With your keys finally retrieved, you jump in the car and remember that your gas tank is on empty, so you rush to the service station – which has a car at every pump. When you finally get to fill your car, the automatic shut-off on the pump is broken and you end up with gasoline all over your pants and shoes. Praying you won't run into any live sparks and that everyone at work has suddenly lost his sense of smell, you finally get on the freeway only to run into a massive traffic tie-up caused by an overturned 18-wheeler two miles down the road. Desperate to get to work, you follow all the other cars and make your own exit ramp – just in time to be greeted by your second policeman of the day. Ticket in hand, you manage to arrive at work, one hour late, and are confronted by an angry boss and a huge pile of work on your desk, on top of which is a project you messed up on last week and have to straighten out before you can start on any of the new stuff. The eternal-seeming day finally comes to an end and you head home, glad that it's over. In your elation, you drive a little fast and meet your third cop of the day, who is a giving sort and is happy to give you another citation. Figuring nothing else can go wrong, you arrive home to find that your new puppy not only missed his paper five times, he also made a meal of your brand new shoes.
Ever have a day like that? We all have. I call it the "reverse Midas touch" – everything you touch turns into garbage. It's hard to keep life in perspective when a day turns into disaster. The only way we can do that – keep life in perspective – is to continually remember who's in control. Like Hannah. "... by Him deeds are weighed." "...those who stumble are armed with strength." "...those who were hungry hunger no more." "She who was barren has borne seven children." "The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts."
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Remember, the Lord is in control of every step you take, every move you make, every breath you breathe. When your life looks like a junk heap, remembering Who is in control will help you keep things in perspective.
From Newsong Ministries
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Used with Permission
