Pam Padgett - teacher
In the past Joan often called me daily, and sometimes we talked two or three
times in a day. But recently she didn't call for a few days. Thoughts
came that there was something wrong where I was concerned and she
didn't want to talk with me. Rather than turning to God with these
thoughts, I kept trying to ignore this, telling myself that this was
silly and that if Joan was troubled about something she would say something. But the concern continued to surface from time to time. (Fleshly reasonings cannot deal with thoughts the devil brings. Only by turning to God can we deal with them.)
Then while looking at Psalm 34:19 it stood out to me that God delivers us from all that afflicts us.
Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
Afflictions cause suffering or pain. One type of affliction is concerns which bring a type of mental suffering.
While considering Psalm 34:19, one of the things the Holy Spirit reminded me of was this concern and that I hadn't turned to
God with it. When I prayed, the weight of this concern was lifted
immediately. And when I asked God if there was a problem (as these thoughts said), I was not
shown any problem. Later that night I was reminded that what is important is my relationship with God (hearing from God, turning to God, trusting in God, obeying God). This is what I should focus on.
When Joan
and I spoke later she asked about the concern I had mentioned in a writing and I told her. She told me she had recently realized we hadn't talked in a
while, but that this wasn't because she had perceived a problem. She just hadn't
thought to call.
When we don't deal with troubling thoughts by turning to
God, we can be
troubled unnecessarily and weighed down. Thoughts begin to run rampant and can lead us in wrong ways. It doesn't work to try to reason these thoughts away.
But when we turn to God, He is able to help us and sort through the
matter ... whether or not there is a problem ... and what, if anything, we
need to do.
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.