God is Bigger than the Boogie Man and Anything Else We Face

Oswald Chambers said, "We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties." How much easier would my life be if I could always remember to keep my eyes on God and not on my seemingly insurmountable problems? I know how to pray, how to give things over to God, but the control freak in me always takes it back to worry over it again and again. Oh, I know God is in control and I know that He is a big God, but somehow I can't help myself. It's as if I think I can do it better or that I should be helping God. As I type, I have this image of my children trying to "help" me with chores. I appreciate the sentiment that they want to help me, but honestly sometimes they are under foot and just in my way, hindering me from getting the job done. Perhaps that's how God feels when I try to "help" Him solve my problems.

I remember the story when Jesus and the disciples were in the boat and a storm came (Mark 4:35-40). The disciples were panicked but Jesus was asleep in the boat. They asked him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are going to drown?” Jesus replied by telling the water to be still and everything calmed down. Jesus knew it was all under his control, he could see the bigger picture. The disciples did exactly what I would have done. They started to panic and wondered why Jesus wasn’t doing anything. So many times I wonder why Jesus won’t simply do something, not realizing that he is there the whole time and while things may get a little rocky, he’s got it all under control. Perhaps he rocks the boat so we will realize that we need him; that we can’t fix it by our own strength, but only through the strength he gives us.

How many times do I pray and ask God to fix it only to manipulate the circumstances to try to fix it myself? I can see God sitting back, watching with His arms crossed saying, “I thought you asked Me to do this! I can’t do anything until you get out of the way and let me do my thing.” So my focus has to be on my God, who is bigger than any problem I face. Sing with me: God is bigger than the boogie man. He’s bigger than Godzilla or the monsters on TV. Yes, God is bigger than the boogie man and He’s watching out for you and me.” The Veggie Tales song I often sing to my kids applies to grown-ups as well!