We Are As Grasshoppers: Part 2

Submitted by RVH on Tue, 05/18/2021 - 16:49
We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes

Matthew 11:29-30    New International Version

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Joshua 1:9    New International Version

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Do you feel like a grasshopper in your own eyes, in comparison to the problem or trial you are facing?

First of all, God never promised that a believer’s life would be a “bed of roses.”

Secondly, Satan will work very hard to weaken, or cause a believer’s trust and faith in God to fail.  He obviously doesn’t have to work on the non-believer and the Christians have “targets” on their backs, so to speak.

What God did promise us is that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

 

He will never leave us nor forsake us

 

His promise to Joshua is a promise to each of us. We are to be strong, courageous, not afraid or discouraged no matter what we encounter. Why? Because God is with us wherever we go and through whatever we are going through.

Another promise from God is that His grace is sufficient to meet our needs. God revealed to Paul that “His grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in weakness.”

The truth of the matter is that trials are no fun. Trials are difficult. Trials can bring discouragement. We would rather not have them happen in our lives. Furthermore, many don’t end exactly as we want them to.

However, through them our trust and faith in God is tested.

We must ignore what Satan is placing in our minds. We must ignore what he is causing our eyes to see. We must focus our entire being on God and thank Him for all things, including our trials.

One thing we have learned in our life and the lives of others is that God teaches us lessons through our trials and through them our trust and faith in God is tested.

No matter how monumental or difficult the trial may be, God is there. No matter how impossible Satan tries to tell us the situation is, God is there. No matter that we look like grasshoppers in our own eyes compared to the problem, God is there.

King David faced many trials in his life, yet through them all he grew spiritually and became closer to God. His words in the 23rd Psalm should be memorized and used to help us through our own trials;

Power of 23rd Psalm

 

Psalm 23    King James Version

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

 


We Must Totally Depend On God


 

There are times when we must abandon our own thoughts and ability to solve our problems. During these times, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we must “get and keep Satan behind us” and not let him discourage us, or diminish our faith. During these times, we must depend totally on God.

 

Proverbs 3:5-6    New International Version

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.[a]

 


There Is More We Must Do


 

Your trials may not be so large that you feel like "grasshoppers in your own eyes", however you may feel discouragement or doubt and your faith may begin to waver.

When we feel small, discouraged, helpless and with doubts, we must do the following things;

  • Pray to get Satan behind us and ignore the negativity and doubt he wants to place in our minds
  • Place our full dependence in God
  • Keep the communication line with God open and busy
  • Trust in God’s promises
  • Thank Him for ALL things, including our trials
  • Open our mind to the lessons that God is teaching us
  • Concentrate on the assurance that God will never leave us nor forsake us
  • Realize that God is in total control

 

God is bigger than our problems

 

In closing, we are reminded of Job. Unlike the Hebrew people discussed in Part 1, Job’s faith never faltered although I’m sure he could have said he “seemed like a grasshopper in his own eyes, against the trials he was facing.”

Likewise, our faith does not need to waver or falter either.

Jesus said “come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

 He then said “take my yoke upon you.”

 

Take my yoke upon you

 

When we yoke with Christ, we don’t carry the entire burden or load. In other words, it is not just our trial or difficulty to deal with, but Jesus is helping us through it and sharing the load with us.

The apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.”  This means that Christ will give us the strength and grace to deal with any situation. 

Whatever the trial, God will help us through it, being with us every step of the way.

Depend on it and depend on Him.

 

Depend on God

 

RVH