The Frost

Philippians 4:6,7: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

This morning while finding myself worrying about life I came across a quote by Charles Spurgeon. He said, “You will not have peace unless you turn your troubles up. If you tell them to your friends, you but put your troubles out a moment, and they will return again. If you roll your trouble anywhere else it will roll back again. As soon as the trouble comes, quick, the first thing, tell it to your father. Remember, that the longer you take telling your trouble to God, the more your peace will be impaired. The longer the frost lasts, the more likely the ponds will be frozen. Your frost will last until you go to the sun; then your frost will soon become a thaw, and your troubles will melt away.”

I am always amazed at God’s timing, at how he will bring books, articles, songs or people into our lives at the moment we need them the most. I had read this sermon over two years ago and then this morning I came across the notes I had taken from it. I had planned to write this morning about the Brule River and paddling with friends during the winter. Not knowing where I was going with the message. God knew, and upon reading these words from Spurgeon this morning; the frost (worries) in my life have begun to melt. I had let the worries in my life grow and they were turning from frost into ice. I had conveyed my worries to friends which did help for a moment, but as Spurgeon said, "My worries returned again." This morning I can feel the power of the Son and for the first time in weeks I am feeling the peace that God’s Son brings.

Which brings me to the Brule River. Winter is an amazing time to paddle down the Brule. It’s beauty is surreal, the clarity of the water, the whiteness of the snow, and the beauty of the ice forming on the rocks and on the shore. The ice on the shore! That’s it, that’s the message! I am always amazed that the river continues to run while the world around it is frozen and still. The river continues to flow, it is warmed by the sun, it is feed by it’s springs. The ice cannot take hold. The same applies to us if we turn to the Son, continually being feed by His spring, (God’s Word). The ice might cling to our shore but we will keep moving and experience God’s peace.