Do not be so busy adding up your troubles

"Don't be so busy adding up your troubles
that you forget to count your blessings."
- Unknown

"A simple, childlike faith in a Divine Friend
solves all the problems that come to us by land or sea."
- Helen Keller

"This poor man cried out, and Jehovah heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of Jehovah encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them."
Psalm 34:6-7

“Jehovah is near the broken-hearted,
And saves those who have a contrite spirit.”
Psalm 34:18

God, Give that I can put the troubles away,
but that I would also be able to take the problems from others away.
When I was searching for you Heavenly Father,
You gave ear to my voice, and made me free from all my fears.
Please do make me strong to go to help others now
and to spread your Name and show them how Christ can guide us.

“They will never again be hungry or thirsty,
 and never again will the sun strike them, or any scorching heat,
because the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will be their keeper, their Shepherd,
and their guide to fountains of living water
and God will wipe every tear from their eyes and will make glad their eyes for ever."”
Revelation 7:16-17

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Wees niet zo bezig met het optellen van uw problemen

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God is my refuge and my fortress in Him I will trust

“I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust.”
(Ps 91:2 ASV)

Trust In God

“I will say of Yahweh, \@He is\@ my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” (Ps 91:2 KJBPNV)

What do we do when we are in trouble or when we find our circumstances are out of control? 

One of the best things about being a father is learning from our children.  In a child's life things often go wrong and events happen that leave them feeling out of control.  Until a child is grown they are not equipped to face everything the world throws at them.  They lack strength, confidence and skill.  This is where mum and dad come in.  At those out of control moments the first thing a child does is to cry, "Mum!" or "Dad!"  It is the first thing they think of.  It is a totally natural response to difficulty and fear.  To a small child a parent is an inexhaustible supply of strength, wisdom and skill, so it is only logical that their mum or dad should be their first port of call.  It comes from a total trust in their parents who care for them.

The Psalmist wrote the following: "I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.'"  (Psa 91:2) The LORD should also be our refuge in the same way that we are a refuge for our children.  We must have the same sort of faith in God as our young children have in us, and with that, put all our trust in him.

Let's make God our first port of call, relying on his wisdom and strength to help us in our times of need.

Robert Prins [Auckland - Pakuranga - (NZ)] 

Dutch translation / Nederlandse vertaling > God is mijn toevlucht, mijn fort en sterte, op Hem zal ik vertrouwen

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If there is bitterness in the heart

"If there is bitterness in the heart,
sugar in the mouth won't make life sweeter.
But God’s love makes the heart sweet,
And the mouth full of praise."
- Yiddish Proverb

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because it is of Jehovah’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed,
because his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:19-23

“Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God,
who keeps covenant and mercy,
let not all the trouble seem little before you,
that has come upon us, on our kings, on our princes,
and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all your people,
since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.”
Nehemia 9:32

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Als er bitterheid in het hart is

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2013 update:

 

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Do the appropriate for a friend

"When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking
if there is any thing you can do.
Think up something appropriate and do it."
- Edgar Watson Howe

Insomuch as anyone pushes you nearer to God,
they are your truest friend.
- Author Unknown

It is no small thing to be on terms of friendship with God.
- Author Unknown

"A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity."
Proverbs 17:17

God, let me always be willing to help others
and to make them friends.
Let me love the people around me.
And give me Your love in all glory,
Amen.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Doe het passende voor een vriend

A small trouble is like a pebble

"A small trouble is like a pebble.
Hold it too close to your eye and it fills the whole world and puts everything out of focus.
Hold it at a proper distance and it can be examined and properly classified.
Throw it at your feet and it can be seen in its true setting, just one more tiny bump on the pathway of life."
- Celia Luce

"Nobody will make a lock without a key.
Similarly God will not give problems without solutions.

If a problem can be solved, then there is no need to worry about it.
If a problem can not be solved, what is the point in worrying about it?"
- Author unknown

"Faith is not a guarantee against trouble, but to defeat."
- Corrie ten Boom

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

By Your mercy, God we are entrusted with the service of proclamation why we never lose heart. No, we give not up hope. Although we also have the outward man perish, our inner life renews itself day by day, and here we can count on because we believe in Your Word and the Gospels being assured that we will be able to harvest on time.
Jehovah, You are the one who gives strength to the weary again, and the indigent an abundance of power. We, who rely on you, renew our strength and mount up with wings as eagles; we will be able to walk and not become tired, run and not become depleted. For this we plan with the new man on his way to true understanding, innovating after the image of its creator.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Een kleine moeite is als een kiezelsteen

English: Betsie, Nollie, Casper, Willem, Cornelia, Corrie ten Boom in 1900. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

She who sows thistles will reap prickles

"She who sows thistles will reap prickles."
- English Proverb

"He who sows wickedness reaps trouble,
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed."
Proverbs 22:8

God teach me always to respond properly
and let me never lit anger
but let me scatter and harvest peace.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Zij die distels zaait zal stekels plukken
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2013 update: 

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Have a real happy day today!

Dutch version / Nederlands > Heb een echte gelukkige dag vandaag!

"Have a real happy day today!
Enjoy it because you got up this morning."
- Unknown

"But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble."
Psalm 59:16

God, in the morning I am to call you and you hear my voice, stand by me this day.
I keep hoping on you and put my expectations on to you.

A Breath for tomorrow

Dutch version / Nederlands > Een ademzucht voor morgen

“whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (Jas 4:14 RSV)
 “Behold, thou hast made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in thy sight. Surely every man stands as a mere breath! [Selah]” (Ps 39:5 RSV)
 “Man is like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow.” (Ps 144:4 RSV)
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.” (Mt 6:31-34 RSV)

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Trouble is coming

LUKE 6:46-49 NKJ

46 "But why do you call Me `Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?
47 "Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:
48 "He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
49 "But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."

Trouble is coming -- it's part of this life. If you act on the Word, trouble will not destoy you and your household. If you neglect acting on the Word -- no matter how much you hear it -- when trouble comes your way, it may be devastating.

Why?

Not because it's God's will, or God doesn't love you. Simply because you refused to act on the instructions which God -- who knows more than you do -- gave you for your protection.

 

DEUTERONOMY 12:28 NKJ
28 "Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

God gave us His Word because He loves us and desires to help us. Not because He likes to boss people around and give orders. Acting on God's Word is for our benefit.

SAY THIS: I will act on what God's says to me in His Word.
 From adevotion.org

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2013 update:

Words have a power all their own (Photo credit: Lynne Hand)

 

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