“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:19-20 NIV)

Three-year-old Ade wanted pickles with her lunch. I found a new jar in the pantry and tried to open it, without success. I whacked the lid several times. No success. I gave it a few more good smacks with the handle of the knife. Still no success. I tried a gripping cloth over the lid. No success. Finally, I said to Ade, perhaps we should pray about this and ask Jesus to supply Grammy with the strength to open these pickles. Ade laughed and laughed as she stated, “No ask Jesus to help with pickles, Grammy.” But I told her that Jesus is concerned with everything that concerns us, even the little things, so maybe we should try asking Him for help. And so, we did. The lid came off the jar immediately when I gave it one more try.

The look of awe on Ade’s face will be one that I will treasure forever, for this three-year-old had begun the wonderful discovery that God is able to meet all our needs, no matter how small, when we take the time to lift them up to Him in Christ’s name. For God is a good and merciful God who is always ready to meet us right where we are.

It doesn’t matter how old or young we are, rich or poor, sick or healthy, God wants to meet with us. In His infinite wisdom and mercy, He meets with us in the very way that we can best understand and receive Him. All we need to do is to have the faith of a little child who is willing to ask for help where it is needed, even if it is to open a jar of pickles, so that she can enjoy them with her lunch.

So today, if you find yourself in a pickle, so to speak — a situation that is beyond your ability to deal with, be it big or small — what are you going to do about it? Are you going to keep trying to have success amidst it by yourself, or will you reach out in faith to God through prayer, asking Him to meet you exactly where you are and discover that He will be there, too, in a way that you can best understand and receive Him?

Prayer: Father God, may Yours be the glory for ever and ever, as by faith we cry to You in our need, be it large or small, and find that You are there to meet us. Bless us with faith, even faith as small as a little child’s, that we may be awed by Your goodness, mercy, and love as You meet all of our needs through Christ Jesus who loves us. In His name, we pray. Amen.

Lynne Phipps <lynnephipps@hotmail.com>
Atlin, British Columbia, Canada

Reprinted from the PresbyCan Daily Devotional with the author’s permission