«Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you» (1 Peter 5:7).
WHEN JOHN GIBSON PATON agreed to go as a missionary to the New Hebrides, a group of islands in the Western Pacific, he already knew of the challenges he would face in preaching the gospel to cannibal tribes. What he did not know was the kind of obstacles he would encounter in translating the Word of God into the local language.
Paton began his work with the translation of the Gospel of John, but he had not made much progress when he encountered a serious problem in verse twelve of the first chapter: «But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.» The problem was that there was no term equivalent to the word «believe» or «trust» in the local language. Still worse, the concept did not even exist.
Despite this challenge, Paton continued with the translation and prayed to God, asking for His direction. The answer to his prayer came in the most unexpected way. One day, when Paton was working on his translation, a local man came into his office. Tired, the man dropped heavily into a chair and then placed his legs on another chair.
«What are you doing?» Paton asked the local.
«I’m resting all my weight on these chairs,» the man replied.
There was the answer to his prayer! The local had inadvertently given him the correct translation for believe. «Putting all my weight» on God.
After years of work, Paton managed to translate the New Testament into the Aniwa language. There, for example, John 3:16 says, «God so loved the world, that he has given His only begotten Son, that whoever ‘puts all his weight’ on Him may not be lost, but have eternal life.»
How interesting! I do not know what trials or challenges you may be facing right now, but here is a proposal to start this new day: Whatever temptation you are struggling with or whatever trial you are going through, lean completely on God. Let yourself fall into His arms of love with the full confidence that your beloved heavenly Father will sustain you at all times. Give Him your struggles, your fears, your worries. Put them all in His powerful hands. And while you do this, hold on to the promise of our text today: «Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.»
Dear heavenly Father, in response to Your loving invitation,
I want to rely entirely on You to face the challenges of this new day.
I also want to give You not only my worries and anxieties, but also my whole life. It is the least I can do!
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
