Putting Away My Toys
by David Chang, Director of Ministry Support
Yes, because God’s your refuge, the High God your very own home, evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door. He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path. If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!” (Psalm 91:9-16, The Message)
As I was reading this passage of scripture, I began to struggle with it. If this scripture is true, then God is not my refuge. It says that “evil can’t get close, harm can’t get through the door,” but then why was I suddenly fired (from a previous job) when my career was going so well? Where were those angels when I crashed on my bike, fell, and broke my collarbone? It also says that we will “walk unharmed,” so how come my wife got cancer?
Perhaps I wasn’t reading this scripture right? A thought came to mind. Didn’t Jesus teach that in order to receive God’s Kingdom we needed to have childlike faith (Matthew 18:1-5)? Maybe that’s my problem. I’ve been reading this passage not with “childlike” faith, but with “childish” faith.
What’s the difference? I think childish faith is like when I used to get mad at my parents when things didn’t go my way. Childish is when I questioned my parents’ love when they didn’t let me have chocolate ice cream three times a day, made me do my homework, and not let me live in Disneyland.
Childlike faith, on the other hand, is trusting that whatever was happening to me was okay because I trusted that my parents were in control. They only did what was best for me.
Hmmm, this would change how I read and receive this scripture.
Now when I read “evil and harm can’t get close” to me,” I receive it as whatever happens to me is okay because my Heavenly Father has carefully considered it and knows that it will be good for me. My being fired from a job was not all together harm and evil, but a stepping stone to get me from the corporate world to where I am today in full-time ministry.
When I read that His angels keep me from falling, I receive it to mean that if the angels weren’t there, my crashing my bicycle could have been a lot worse than just a fractured collarbone. I could even have been killed.
When I read that “I will give you the best of care,” I receive it to mean that without God’s care, cancer would have taken away my wife.
I’m smiling now because God is helping to put away childish ways (1 Cor 13:11). My Heavenly Father is helping me to grow up to be more childlike.
Prayer: Abba, thank You for being my perfect parent. Help me to put away my childish ways. Help me to be childlike, to receive all that You have for me, especially as our church goes on a 40-day fast. Help to have trust and gratitude that everything that I have now is from Your love and care. In Jesus name, Amen.
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