The big frogs in your life
September 14, 2003 | 12:00am
"He said: ‘Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God’s.’"
2 Chronicles 20:15
John Redman tells the story of a farmer who came to town and asked the chef of a new French restaurant if he could use about a million frog legs. "Oui!" he responded enthusiastically, but he quickly asked, "Where in the world would you find so many frogs?" "I have a pond at home that is filled with them," replied the farmer. "They drive me crazy night and day."
After they agreed on a price, the French chef awaited the first delivery of the new delicacy that would soon appear on the menu. A few weeks later, the farmer made his first delivery: All of four frog legs. With a red face he stammered, "I guess I was wrong. There were just two frogs in that pond, but they sure made a lot of noise."
That’s often the way it is with the stress factors in our lives. Like a grain of sand in your eye, or a torn cuticle on your finger, a small amount of friction can produce a great deal of discomfort and irritation.
So here’s the important question: How do you turn things over to God?
The answer begins with your relationship with God. A lot of people want to use God like a parachute in escaping from a plane that is about to crash. Once they safely reach the ground, they want to disengage and go their own way. But the relationship that brings security for you as a believer in Jesus Christ is one in which you surrender your life to the sovereign will of God, knowing without question that you have become God’s child. The Bible calls it "conversion" or "being born again".
It means you acknowledge your inability to save yourself or to help yourself. This gulf that exists between you and God is what the Bible calls "sin". It’s the rebellion of your heart that makes you want to live as though there is no God. But when you confess your sin and ask God for forgiveness, you surrender to Him.
Doing this, you embrace God’s Son as your Savior and Lord. He promised, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). This means that you aren’t alone in your workplace, your marriage, your neighborhood. That knowledge in itself takes the stress out of your life.
Finally, it means you confess Christ as your Lord, asking Him to guide, to direct and to empower you. It’s then that you come under His banner and security.
Note that 2 Chronicles 20 is an old story that speaks to the needs of our lives today. Remind yourself of what God told King Jeshoshaphat, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s" (2 Chronicles 20:15). With that understanding, you can cope with almost anything that bothers you. Resource Reading: 2 Chronicles 20
2 Chronicles 20:15
John Redman tells the story of a farmer who came to town and asked the chef of a new French restaurant if he could use about a million frog legs. "Oui!" he responded enthusiastically, but he quickly asked, "Where in the world would you find so many frogs?" "I have a pond at home that is filled with them," replied the farmer. "They drive me crazy night and day."
After they agreed on a price, the French chef awaited the first delivery of the new delicacy that would soon appear on the menu. A few weeks later, the farmer made his first delivery: All of four frog legs. With a red face he stammered, "I guess I was wrong. There were just two frogs in that pond, but they sure made a lot of noise."
That’s often the way it is with the stress factors in our lives. Like a grain of sand in your eye, or a torn cuticle on your finger, a small amount of friction can produce a great deal of discomfort and irritation.
So here’s the important question: How do you turn things over to God?
The answer begins with your relationship with God. A lot of people want to use God like a parachute in escaping from a plane that is about to crash. Once they safely reach the ground, they want to disengage and go their own way. But the relationship that brings security for you as a believer in Jesus Christ is one in which you surrender your life to the sovereign will of God, knowing without question that you have become God’s child. The Bible calls it "conversion" or "being born again".
It means you acknowledge your inability to save yourself or to help yourself. This gulf that exists between you and God is what the Bible calls "sin". It’s the rebellion of your heart that makes you want to live as though there is no God. But when you confess your sin and ask God for forgiveness, you surrender to Him.
Doing this, you embrace God’s Son as your Savior and Lord. He promised, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). This means that you aren’t alone in your workplace, your marriage, your neighborhood. That knowledge in itself takes the stress out of your life.
Finally, it means you confess Christ as your Lord, asking Him to guide, to direct and to empower you. It’s then that you come under His banner and security.
Note that 2 Chronicles 20 is an old story that speaks to the needs of our lives today. Remind yourself of what God told King Jeshoshaphat, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s" (2 Chronicles 20:15). With that understanding, you can cope with almost anything that bothers you. Resource Reading: 2 Chronicles 20
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