GOD IS IN CONTROL!

Dianne Olsen, SW Washington

 

 

I have been reading out of the book of Job this past month. Job endured great trials, but all the while, he kept his faith. The biggest lesson to glean from Job is that God is in control of all things. Sometimes it may be difficult to see the hand of God operating in your life, but rest assured, He is! The following story illustrates God’s love for us:

 

The Necklace

The cheerful little girl with bouncy, golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh mommy please, can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five, that's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you, and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out seventeen pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her a dollar bill, and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and sophisticated. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

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Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

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"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, the one you gave me? She's my very favorite."
"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." - "Then give me your pearls."

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"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll, the brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

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"That's okay. Sleep well. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one lone tear rolled down her cheek.

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"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

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Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy, this is for you."

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With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.
He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

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So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that He can give us beautiful treasures. Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits or activities that you have become so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing:

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God will never take away something, without giving you something better in its place. As this Christmas season unfolds, ask yourself if there is anything you may be holding onto that is preventing God from giving you a gift that is beyond what you can ask or imagine.

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Dianne