Isa 59:15-16

there was no justice.
And He saw that there was no one,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation…

Many of us are born “fixers.” Our natural tendency is to take matters into our own hands, to fret and worry, to demand solutions, to feel responsible for changing the people around us – spouses, children, friends, coworkers, neighbors, politicians, justice systems, looters, criminals, even pastors – anyone who is doing or saying things differently than the way we prefer.

Yet in the process, we often bypass the most effective means of making a difference in their lives. A little plaque in my study provides a frequent and much-needed reminder: “Have you prayed about it?” Unfortunately, I too often ignore this simple question until I have exhausted all other ideas and bombarded people with my righteous “suggestions” as to how they might improve.

Sometimes I imagine God sitting in heaven, watching us frantically trying to manage everyone else’s lives and solve their problems. I can almost hear Him saying, “Do you really want to take care of this yourself? Then go ahead. . . Oh, you want Me to handle it instead? Well, that is better. Now, just sit back and let me show you what I can do!”

I am convinced if you and I would spend a fraction of the time praying for others that we spend worrying about them, talking about them, and trying to fix their issues to our own liking…we would see a lot more positive results.

Why not enter God’s presence today, Praying, Lord, I can’t meet these needs, nor change ways of thinking. I am not able to solve the problem or fix things. But I know that nothing is too difficult for You. Please, draw those created in Your image Yourself and continue to draw me closer as well.

Pastor Dale