JULIUS

July 1, 2020 –

Do you realize you can learn a lot about life from a children’s book? For example, a problem can sometimes be kicked back to the person who presented the problem.

I remember a statement in Syd Hoff’s “Julius.” It is the story of an adolescent boy, Davy, who goes to Africa with his father to catch an animal for the circus.

While looking for a gorilla, Davy found a coconut. He kicked it into the bushes. Someone kicked it back to him! Surprised at this resistance — the coconut being bounced back to him — Davy asks, “Who is in there?” The answer he received was, “I’m a gorilla. My name is Julius.”

At times, we kick our problems to God and hope he won’t kick them back. We haven’t searched out the CAUSE for the problem WHERE it originated, and some ways to solve it. We don’t take any serious action or personal responsibility; we kick the problem to God and hope it doesn’t kick it back.

Scripture says that God promised to WORK all things for the good for those that love. Notice the word “work” in the previous sentence. We can give our problems (burdens) to God not because we want to necessarily give God the problem we want to obey the words of Jesus, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

You alone cannot solve all your problems. Only God can do that. What you can do is give your burdens to the Lord and listen for His directions on how you get involved.