by James Collins
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:3
I like to work in my yard. I like to work in my yard because it is good exercise. I like to work in my yard because it is good therapy. I like to work in my yard because it is good quiet time. I like to work in my yard because my wife tells me that I must work in my yard.
When I work in my yard, I have a good time. It’s just me and Jesus. So, I like to sing praises to Jesus. I often worry the neighbors will hear me singing and call the police because they think I’m killing a cat. I don’t have the best singing voice.
There is a small orchard in our back yard. There are peach trees, apple trees, pear trees, plum trees, and cherry trees. One day, I was pruning those trees. I filled up a trashcan with leaves and limbs and I was singing. Have you ever had a song get stuck in your head? That day, I was singing, “He has made me glad. He has made me glad. I will rejoice for He has made me glad.”
I filled up the trashcan with leaves and limbs. The trashcan was full, but there was one little pile left. While I was working, I was singing. “He has made me glad. He has made me glad. I will rejoice for He has made me glad.”
I wanted to make more room in the trashcan for the last little bit of leaves and limbs. So, I grabbed hold of it, and I pulled myself up into it. I was still singing. “He has made me glad. He has made me glad. I will rejoice for He has made me glad.”
I began to jump up and down. I wanted to smash the leaves and limbs down, so I could pile more in the trashcan.
Did I tell you that there are wheels on the back of that trashcan? The trashcan began to roll with me jumping up and down inside of it.
There was nothing I could do. I hunkered down in the fetal position as the trashcan rolled out from under me. When I hit the ground, it knocked the “He has made me glad” right out of me!
I stopped singing. I stopped giving Him glory. I stopped praising the Lord when I hit the ground.
The point is: When life is going great, it is easy to give praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. However, when trouble comes, we forget all about Him. The One we need the most, we call on the least when we are in trouble.
I don’t know what trials and tribulations that you are going through today. But whatever your problems are, you can call on Jesus. He is the God of all comfort.
James Collins is a pastor, writer, and columnist. Find out more about his ministry at www.thepointis.net
