Living Life Backwards

When I was growing up, I enjoyed listening to recordings backwards. If you ever did that, maybe you can remember how funny that sounded to a child.

For example, I can recall how eerie my music sounded once I slowed it down and then played it backwards. Then there was speech, which sounded very strange when played backwards at normal speed. In fact, it sounded like a different language altogether.

In this crazy world, it often seems like God calls us to live life backwards, but I have found that His ways will only help us advance. Let me share another story from my life that will explain what I mean.
God’s Word tells us to be thankful in every situation, but last year my wife and I found it hard to obey this injunction. "I thought we had more time to find a new place to live," I told Stephanie as I hung up the phone, "but now we have to leave as soon as possible. Are we supposed to live in a cardboard box now?"

I don’t mind telling you we were frustrated, and we looked with exasperation for a new apartment. Seeing no affordable results, we were about to give up when a miracle occurred at the last minute. A much better living situation opened up. We had to wait for a while before the deal was closed, but it was more than worth the wait.

Sometimes I think we become more adept at being thinkers than thankers. I believe that one thing caused us to be less thankful during our housing problem. We depended too much on our own understanding instead of putting our trust in God's plan for us. While it is right to trust our understanding up to a point, we are often governed by fear when we try to figure things out in our own strenth.

Think of Peter as he walked on the water to Jesus. He tried to figure out how he would walk through a storm, and he sank. It is much the same in the storms of life. What seems like a troubling situation could turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to you.

God's Word challenges all of us to be people of peace and joy, but we can only do that by facing life's pressures with thanksgiving. When our feelings tell us that we can’t win at life, we need to listen to the one who did.

While listening to God and understanding His plan for us is a constant struggle for all of us, we need to be people of the book. The Bible lets us see how God has worked in prior situations, and it confirms that He is in control of what all of us are going through right now.

So when it comes to figuring things out in your own strength, be a thanker, not a thinker. If you feel like nothing is working out, I challenge you to thank God anyway. Build a throne of praise, and let Him work behind the scenes. It may surprise you when you find out that the plan that seemed so backward is actually moving you forwards.

Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 377 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 260, Placentia, CA 92870. Finally, you're always welcome to join our Monday night Bible study or Tuesday night prayer meeting. Both are conducted by conference call, and they take place at 5:30 PM Arizona time. Our conference number is 712-775-7031, and our ID is 607518748. We hope to talk with you soon!

If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 507-369-6861.