"When I Get Big and You Get Little"

     When I was growing up on a farm in Napoleon, Ohio, my older sister (eight years my senior) would inevitably do her best to tease me.  Since I was smaller and younger, she could run faster and seemingly get away with "pushing my buttons".  I was powerless to stop her.  So, in response, I often yelled after her, "When I get big and you get little, I will catch you!"  My parents thought that was funny as did my sister.  However, as I got older, I did end up being taller and bigger.  I grew to be 5'8" and my sister stood 5' 3" tall.  One day she forgot about my size and teased me.  When I chased her, I caught her and held her down on the floor and tickled her till she gave up!!  It took me a while to get to that point of being able to catch her, but I finally did and that ended the extra teasing.
     All this came back to my mind as I was reading Psalm 34:17-18:  "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
     Now what does this have to do with my sister teasing me?  Well, at the time, I wanted to get even with her and make her stop.  But it took a number of years before I grew big enough to catch up with her.
     How often when we are crushed by circumstances, brokenhearted by people or overwhelmed by troubles, do we want an instant answer?  Scripture tells us that the Lord is close to us when we face pain and troubles.  The Word promises that God will ultimately deliver us from all our troubles, but the Word does not say how or when.  That is God's great prerogative.  His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not ours.  So we cannot dictate to our Lord just when or how we will be delivered.  If we know and trust God, however, we can depend on Him to be near us and to deliver us.
     I didn't know as a small child that one day I would, indeed, get bigger than my sister.  She didn't either However, I did and was able to stop the teasing.  Likewise, we do not know how or when God will bring about our deliverance, but we know that He will because His Word says so.

     Many of us are suffering with physical, spiritual or mental problems that we need to roll upon our Lord and claim this scripture taking encouragement from it.  He is bigger than all our troubles, and He will deliver His own.  Selah!

I welcome your thoughts and insights.  How has God delivered you?