This
cute cartoon caused me to think of serious real life problems. What
do we do when we are faced with something serious? Do we study it
(like the dog on the left), or give up (like the dog on the floor) or
look to see what others are doing about it (the anxious dog on the
right)?
Right
about now, you are probably thinking- well, its just a cartoon, so
what?
Well,
we all face real problems in this world; there is just no way of
avoiding all of them. So, what do we do when confronted with
something serious?
And
then I thought of a chapter in the book of Acts...
Acts
21 (World English
Bible)
7
When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais.
We greeted the brothers, and stayed with them one day. 8 On
the next day, we, who were Paul’s companions, departed, and came to
Caesarea.
We entered into the house of Philip the
evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 Now
this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. 10 As
we stayed there some days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down
from Judea. 11 Coming
to us, and taking Paul’s belt, he bound his own feet and hands, and
said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit: ‘So will the Jews at Jerusalem
bind the man who owns this belt, and will deliver him into the hands
of the Gentiles.’”
The
Christians with Paul at first tried to avoid the situation by begging
him not to go up to Jerusalem. When that failed, they submitted to
the will of God with the statement: “The
Lord’s will be done.”
Paul’s
attitude was great and he was willing to go, but it took awhile for
those with him to realize that God had a plan for Paul.
Here
is another problem and an even more serious situation...
Daniel
6
(World
English
Bible)
1 It
pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps,
who should be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and
over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these
satraps might give account to them, and that the king should have no
damage. 3 Then
this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps,
because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set
him over the whole realm. 4 Then
the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel
as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault,
because he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found
in him. 5 Then
these men said, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel,
except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 6 Then
these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said
thus to him, King Darius, live forever. 7 All
the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the
counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a
royal statute, and to make a strong decree, that whoever shall ask a
petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, he
shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now,
O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it not be
changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which
doesn’t alter. 9 Therefore
king Darius signed the writing and the decree. 10 When
Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now
his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on
his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his
God, as he did before. (emphasis
added)
When
faced with death,
Daniel simply prayed. Later in the book, God delivered him from
death.
Point
is: Will we rely on God when faced with something serious?
By
the way…
to
the
dog who is studying the situation:
Close
that door!