Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 KJV
I have a big Bible, Giant Print. The kind that is so easy to read that you spend all of your study time in it, but so big and bulky that you never it carry it to Church Services or study classes. It’s the big lunky study Bible, with pages falling out, and bled through highlighting (often making it difficult to figure out which side of the page held the vast important Rhema message of the moment). The Bible with the pictures of loved ones, their needs written on the back. The Bible with the prayer lists from years back and notes from a special sermon, dog-eared and marked from hours of digging. It’s the one with the family tree, the births and deaths, the baptism dates, salvation dates, and the day my son uttered in tongues for the first time.
The Bible I use as a pillow when I pray myself to sleep while walking through the valley. The one with coffee stains made one excited morning when God met our need, when we once more stood high upon the mountain. The one with every promise underlined and Psalm 23 in the upper left hand column of the right page.
You know which one I mean. We all have one. Mine has become so very special to me. It is the first thing packed in my suitcase and the first thing removed when I arrive at my destination. It’s the first thing I read in the morning and the last thing I read at night, no matter where I travel.
Recently I took it to a Woman’s Retreat. Although it shared my study time in the chapel library and made a few trips to the pond, it didn’t go to the services. It was much too important. It holds, tucked carefully inside, my precious treasures.
As I was folding it up one morning, it slipped from my grip and dozens of papers fell out. I carefully, gently, picked each one up and relived the emotions of the prayer requests or notes written thereon. It was a wonderful lift in my faith as I realized that all but a few of those requests had already been fulfilled. Years of requests ranging from what now seems so small, to what will always be overwhelming. All needs and desires met by God’s mercy and grace.
When I had a request which seemed so large to my immediate circumstance, I wrote it down. I told God that it was too big for me and I was tucking it in amongst His promises. It was a time of humbling myself, admitting that I could not meet my own needs. It was a time of letting go.
As I read through though those notes I saw where I had made notes and dates about when those needs were met. Needs for groceries, met within a day. Needs for a car, met within a month, free and clear. Needs for a house, met within six months, free and clear. Even the desire for fresh fruit when we had eaten food bank canned fruit for so long, met within an hour. God knew just what to do. He answered our needs exceedingly, abundantly above all I could have expected.
Is it a magic Bible? A special prayer formula? Special anointed paper? An anointed pen? NO! It was stepping back and letting God fulfill the promises He so graciously gave us. It was getting out of His way. Our Blessed God who met all our needs, and a few simple desires – like the taste and texture of a fresh peach. It was simply letting go.
Written By Linda J. Humes
6-30-1998
Linda J. Humes 