What If

Can you recall your first day at school?

Do you remember when you learned how to drive a car?

How about the day you graduated?

Do you recall the day you started your first real job?

Think about the day you got married,

Call to mind the day your child was born.

How about the day your grandchild was born?

These are but some of the milestones we experience in life.

As you thought about these milestones, did you remember mostly the good things?

If you are like me, then you probably answered yes to that question.

If that is the case then think about these events once again and as you do try to remember any anxiety you might have experienced with each one.

With each of these events and others you probably experienced at least some anxiety along with the anticipation.

As a rule, we tend to repeatedly ask ourselves questions that begin with the words “what if”.

Can you recall asking any of the following questions?

What if I don't get the job?

What if the person I propose to says no?

What if we cannot afford to have a child right now?

What if I lose my job?

Yet here we are today and these events are now memories on which we can reflect.

These events changed us in one way or another.

Now consider one more thing.

Remember that there is Someone who has been along side us for the entire journey.

Someone who has not changed one bit even though we did!

Hebrews 13:8 (NET) – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!

I am particularly fond of this translation as it uses “forever” instead of “tomorrow”.

It is good for us to remember that He was with us through all our yesterdays.

It is nice to be reminded that He was there for us today.

It is both reassuring and encouraging to know that He will be there for us not just for tomorrow, but forever!

Finally ask yourself one of the very few “what if” questions that really matters.

What if someone I care about does not know Him?

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 7, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 14, 2014

In the Psalms of His Hands

Today's headlines seemingly bombard us with nothing but bad news.

War is an ever present reality.

So is the threat of terrorism.

Not to be outdone, disease now appears to demand its share of today's news stories.

What are we to do?

We could refuse to pick up a newspaper or a magazine.

We could refuse to turn on the television, the radio and the computer.

But living in denial is not a solution.

These issues will not simply go away just by our refusing to acknowledge them.

If anything, denial will only make matters worse.

That is an option I refuse to accept.

What other options do we have?

We could do what some have already chosen to do.

We could build a bunker or some other fortified shelter.

We could then amass a stockpile of food, water, weapons and ammunition there.

Then, if things got bad enough, we could move into that shelter and try to protect our resources from all who would try to take them from us.

But if we were to do that, wouldn't we be forfeiting our humanity?

That, too, is an option I refuse to accept.

Having ruled these two out, what options remain?

One very real option is to live in fear.

If we are not careful we could easily let fear dominate our lives.

We could spend much of our time and energy worrying about things that are not in our control.

Fear, like denial, accomplishes nothing.

What option, if any, could possibly be left?

There is an option and it is the very best option of all.

We can place our trust exactly where it belongs.

The Book of Psalms is an excellent guide for trying times.

We do not need to live in denial because He is there to help us.

Psalm 121:2 (NET) – My help comes from the LORD, the Creator of heaven and earth!

We do not need to forfeit our humanity and exchange living for mere survival.

Psalm 36:9 (NET) – For You are the One who gives and sustains life.

Perhaps best of all, we do not have to live in fear.

Psalm 118:6 (NET) – The LORD is on my side, I am not afraid! What can people do to me?

Sometimes the world's problems can seem overwhelming.

When they do, we always have Someone we can turn to and a place where we can go.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 17, 2014.

I’ll be back here on Friday, October 24, 2014