A Cure For Worry: The “God Bag”

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. — Psalm 37:5

Last week I attended a Pastor’s and Wives Conference in California. H.B. London told a story about a Christian man who was very depressed after his wife left him and worried about his prodigal son, sat alone at his kitchen table. He was at the end of his rope. Before him on the table was a wrinkled brown paper sack containing an apple. He emptied the sack on the table and began to eat the apple. As he ate the apple he got an idea. He flattened the empty paper sack out on the table. He took a crayon and scribbled on the bag in big letters: “God Bag.” He found a couple of small slips of paper and on one he wrote a prayer for his marriage would be restored. On another he wrote that God would restore his relationship with his son. He placed these slips of paper inside the “God Bag,” as a symbolic act of committing these things to God. He taped the “God Bag” to the door of his refrigerator. When ever he would go the refrigerator, he would pray for the contents of the “God Bag.” It wasn’t long until his marriage was restored. He went to the “God Bag” and removed the slip of paper regarding his marriage. He continued to pray for his son each time he passed the “God Bag.” Finally God answered that prayer also and he removed the slip of paper about his son from the “God Bag.” He left the “God Bag” taped to the refrigerator for future burdens he would commit to God in prayer.

Others who heard this story have made their own “God Bag” in which they would deposit slips of paper describing a financial crisis, a betrayal by a friend, wayward children, unsaved loved ones, broken marriages, and other “unmanageable” situations. It is amazing how God has blessed this simple symbolic expression of committing something to Him in prayer. By writing the problem/person/situation down and placing the note into the “God Bag,” you have symbolically committed situation in God’s hands, and as long as it is in God’s hands, you don’t need to worry about it! Just trust God to handle it.

As the old saying goes, “Let GO and let GOD!” Make yourself a “God Bag” and use it! It works.