When things are not going our way, we tend to think God
has forgotten us. Our lives are out of control, therefore, God must be mad at
us. This may be how we feel but we serve a God who is intimately involved in
every affair of our lives.
At the turn of the century, cod fish were in high demand on the
east coast. News of this tasty fish spread across the country, all the way to
the west coast. However, there was a problem. How could they get the fish
across the country and still keep it fresh? They tried to freeze the fish and
send it by rail, the fastest means at the time. When it was prepared, it turned
out to be very mushy and lacking in flavor. Then someone decided to ship the
fish live — turning railroad cars into huge saltwater aquariums. When the cod
fish arrived, they were still alive but when prepared, they were still mushy
and tasteless. After studying the cod fish someone discovered that their natural
enemy was the catfish. This time when the cod fish were put in the tanks, they
placed a few catfish in with them. Those catfish chased the cod fish across the
country all the way to the west coast. This time when they were prepared, they
were flaky and had the same flavor as they did when they were caught fresh and
prepared on the east coast. You see, the catfish kept the cod from becoming
stale. The catfish kept them fresh.
This may sound like a bad news to you but let me assure you, God
will never allow more “catfish” into your life than you can handle. The
sickness, financial difficulty, divorce, pain, and problems are there, not to
destroy you, but to propel you into your ultimate victory. Shift happens! But
nothing happens to you, everything
happens for you.
I travel quite a bit. At times, the pilot would announce
that our flight would take longer because the tail-wind was against us. It’s
disheartening to think we have to sit on the long stretch of a flight for an
extra hour or two. However, there are times when the pilot announces that the
journey will be shortened because the tail-wind is in our favor.
We don’t want to wait. We like for everything to be instant.
Fortunately, God is not Burger King. You can’t have it your way and eat it too!
The same God who is in control of our lives in the good times is in control of
our lives in our “bad” times. He is
orchestrating our lives. He promised never to leave us nor forsake us. He would
never allow the difficult things into our lives unless He could use them to
deliver us. God is always looking at our best interest. He will never let us
end in a minus; with God, we’re always going to be plus. What looks like a
setback now is actually a setup. The same wind that is blowing against you will
propel you to a place of greater blessing and influence.
Have you ever been lost while driving? When we find
ourselves confused, what do we do? We look for our GPS, don’t we? When we type
the right destination into that little device, it automatically calculates
another route to get us there in approximately the same time, if not sooner.
Even when we’ve made a mistake, the GPS will correct our course and take us to
the right destination. Friend, God has already pre-programmed you for health,
success, peace, and prosperity. His Word is like the GPS. The Bible is the
Guide Book for life! I encourage you to read the life-manual for directions in
your life. It will give you strength and purpose. His Word will lead and guide
you and act as an umpire. Even when we make a bad choice or fall victim to
others, He will still get us to our original destination on time. He is never
out of sight from our lives. He controls the wind and the “catfish” in our lives!
Remember, the kite only rises against the wind. Only dead
fish float downstream. A rainbow is visible only after the rain. My challenge
to you today is not to curse the wind. Every negative situation in your life is
not from the devil. The enemy may have meant it for harm but God is going to
make sure the tail-wind is in your favor and you get to your desired
destination safely and on time. The “catfish”
are there only to will keep you fresh. You don’t have to figure everything out.
The Master Designer of your life has it all figured out. He will take your
trials and cause you to triumph. Your trial will become your testimony. Your tears
will turn into your treasure. Your pain will produce a purpose. Enjoy the journey
my friend! God is not only with you, He is for
you. I love you and I’m praying for you.
“No temptation has
overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let
you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also
provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (I Corinthians 10:13
ESV).
No comments:
Post a Comment