Snakes and Stones

Starting on January 10, 2012, this blog will become increasingly more active. With an easier schedule, I will be much more able to post this semester. I haven't posted in almost two months, and it's been killing me that I've abandoned the posts. I will be doing a minimum of two posts each week, coming out on Tuesdays and Fridays. Tuesday posts will look much like the Bug's posts have always looked: basically a mini-message, in written form. Friday posts, of which this is the first, will be based off the lessons I teach in my Bible study. Currently, we are reading through Matthew, and this week's lesson is from Matthew 7:9-11.

9 What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! -Matthew 7:7-11, HCSB

Imagine that someone is drowning in a river, screaming out for help. A sense of desperation is in their voice. They cannot swim, and they need help to survive. They look to you, and call out your name. You have a lifejacket, which they can attach to themselves and survive, or a rock, with which you can toss in their direction and hope for the best. Which one would you give them?

Of course, you'd give them the lifejacket. Why would you give someone that is so desperately in trouble something that is only going to make them sink faster? Yet, if you'd be willing to do save them, how much more capable and willing is God to help us?

You see, often times it's us that is drowning. We're stuck in the rivers of life, drowning in our troubles. We can't get out of our sucky situations, and so we cry out to God for help. We have a God who is all-powerful and all-loving. Will He not help us out?

God always works for the good of His people (Romans 8:28). We may not understand when we are drowning, and God doesn't just come over in His boat and get us. Sometimes, He tosses a lifejacket nearby, and we have to stretch a bit to grab it, and then dog paddle to safety. We want everything to come easy to us, and usually it doesn't. God lets us go through hard stuff for a reason, and we just have to put our faith in Him to get us out of the river. He is a refuge for those in trouble (Nahum 1:7); He's working for our good!

We have an amazing God. I urge you to watch the video below, and spend a few minutes gazing upon how beautiful and breathtaking His Creation is. Then, remember that the God that made all of that is looking out for you, and will save you from the river. Worship Him now. Praise Him.