By Carey Kinsolving and Friends
“I would pray that God’s hand be with me when I am
hunting or fishing, or maybe when my sister is driving,”
says Jacob, 10.
A sister with a heavy foot can do wonders for a guy’s
prayer life. Shelby, 6, has a similar prayer: “When I’m
driving with Mommy, please keep me safe.”
All drivers with child passengers should remember that
their precious cargo could be praying that they’ll slow
down. Give your guardian angels a little rest.
“I would want God to be with me when I go upstairs all
by myself,” says Brandon, 6.
You never know what’s lurking in closets, under beds
and behind curtains. God’s presence can protect you from
the biggest, baddest monsters you’ve ever imagined. No
monster would dare show his green, slimy face when God
is with you.
Brandon, when you get older, the monsters don’t
disappear. They just change shapes. The monster called
Fear has an insatiable appetite. He has a monster cousin
called Worry. They’re always looking for lives to destroy.
The Apostle Peter wrote that we should cast all our cares
on the Lord because he cares for us. He warned that we
should be alert because our adversary, the devil, is like a
roaring lion seeking to devour our lives (I Peter 5:7-10).
We can resist fear and worry by looking to the Lord for our
strength instead of our abilities, things or people.
“I would ask God to help me win races against bigger
kids,” says Joseph, 7.
In the 1924 Paris Olympics, a Scot stood on the platform
to receive a gold medal in the 400-meter race. The strange
thing was that he didn’t train for the 400 meters and hadn’t
planned to run in it. The preliminary heats for his race, the
100 meters, were on Sunday. He withdrew from the race
because competing on Sunday violated his convictions.
Instead, he ran and set a record in the 400 meters. He also
ran in the 200-meter race and won a bronze medal.
“Chariots of Fire,” which won several Academy Awards,
captures the drama and excitement of this true story. It
shows how Eric Liddell struggled with whether he should
run at all. Liddell knew God had called him to serve as
a missionary to China, but he also knew God gave him
the ability to run fast. In the movie, he said he felt God’s
pleasure when he ran.
In real life, Liddell said: “To give up running is to hold
him in contempt. To win is to honor him.”
Liddell saw running as part of his missionary service,
which he later completed in China. Part of knowing God’s
will is sensing his pleasure in the use of a special gift or
talent. Sometimes God may call you to lay down a gift for
greater service, but often, he will use your giftedness for
his glory. The key to handling your gifts properly is to keep
their source before you at all times.
A short prayer from Callie, 9, sounds as if it could have
come from the mouth of Eric Liddell: “Show me your will
and your power so that I may be like you.”
Think about this: Every child of God who loves the Lord
Jesus and experiences his presence has nothing to fear.
Memorize this truth: “Be anxious for nothing, but in
everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of
God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Ask this question: Are you enjoying God’s presence and
the sense that God is with you?
COPYRIGHT 2021 CAREY KINSOLVING
