A member of our church called me one day in September to ask if I could help her. She was born in the Netherlands and followed her Canadian soldier fiancé to Canada shortly after the war. They married and had five children. Her husband died 31 years ago.

She was recently told that one of her daughters has a suspected brain tumour and was scheduled for more tests. Needless to say, they are all worried.

Our friend told me that when she was a little girl, her mother used to recite a poem to her about needless worry. She tried for days to come up with the words, but they just would not come. Then one day while she was doing her morning devotions, she suddenly remembered the words. We concluded that this was divine guidance.

She knows that I had worked and lived in the Netherlands for six years, and she suspected that my knowledge of the Dutch language was better than hers. She asked me if I could translate it for her so that she could perhaps share it with her family. I looked up the verse that she remembered and saw that there were actually two. It is a nice poem, and I translated it as follows:

We human beings often suffer most
From problems we may fear
Which never may appear.
Thus we may carry a heavier load
Than God gave us to bear.

Problems which come our way
Are often less than we had feared.
However, if they do come
Then God is always there
To give us strength to bear.

Most of us have reasons to worry. Perhaps, we have been told that we ourselves or our loved ones have serious medical problems. It may be that we worry about our children or grandchildren. Some of us in advanced years may be worried about the things which we face on a daily basis.

Whenever I am faced with or share the problems someone else is experiencing, I quite often cite the following Bible verses:

Psalm 46:1-2a – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. (NIV)

Psalm 121:1b-2 – Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (NIV)

Matthew 11:28 – [Jesus said,] "Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest." (GNT)

Whatever situation that we find ourselves in, whatever worries that we have, "God is always there to give us strength to bear."

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, there are times when the burdens of our lives seem almost too much for us to carry. But we know, Lord, that You are always with us and will give us comfort during those times. We offer this prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.

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About the author:

Joel Jongkind <austria67@bmts.com>
Meaford, Ontario, Canada
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