Better Than "Nabs"

Tuesday, March 28, 2000

Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (KJV)

One day recently on the way to work, a comment made by the radio personality of my favourite gospel station brought to my mind a long-standing "inside joke" that exists in my family. The station was going through a list of the "Top 10 meals for a father to fix when mother is away". High up on the list was a pack of "nabs" and a cold drink. (For those of you who may not be familiar with "nabs", it is a slang term for a pack of snack crackers such as one would get from a vending machine.)

In my family, my father was famous, or infamous, for always carrying with him in his car and golf bag a pack of nabs. If anyone ever made mention that they were getting hungry, my father would immediately reply "I got some nabs." On one occasion I made the comment that I felt like I was getting a headache, to which my father immediately, and without hesitation, replied, "I got some nabs." I did not know exactly what to say, so I think I just laughed. A pack of nabs is not exactly what most people would offer to a person with a headache. From that moment on, the family joke was that a pack of nabs was the answer to any ailment or problem. If someone said, "My throat hurts", the reply was, "I got some nabs." "My back hurts" would produce the response, "I got some nabs." And so on it was.

It is quite amazing to me how God calls me to write about something as frivolous and immaterial as a pack of nabs, but when I heard that word mentioned on the radio, I immediately knew what my next devotional should be about. I imagine my family members will get quite a chuckle out of reading this, but at the same time God has a message to say.

People, both Christians and non-Christians, are always seeking a cure to their problems. Doctors' offices are filled to capacity each and every day. Thousands of people grace the doors of their church counsellor or their local psychologist or therapist. We all have problems that we are attempting to overcome, whether they be physical or mental. We all spend a great deal of time and effort trying to lessen or remove those problems from our lives. Many times we will even forego professional assistance, thinking that we can overcome our problems by ourselves.

It is quite sad that often our last resort or line of defence is to take our problems to God. We are so quick to think that we can get through it alone or maybe even that our problems are not worth "bothering" God with. The truth of the matter is that no problem is either too big or too small for God to solve. Nothing we face in our lives is outside of the concern and grace of our precious Saviour. God should be our first line of defence whenever problems arise. That is not to say that we should never go to a doctor when we are sick, or seek counselling if we are stressed, but we should still share our problems with God first. God does work through other people, but I have found that if I give my problems or ailments to God before giving them to someone else, He seems to have a way of working things out for me with a little more ease. If nothing else, giving it to God gives a comfort and peace of mind.

So does your throat hurt?
Does your head hurt?
Does your heart hurt?
Does your ????? hurt?

No matter what the problem, I've got the answer — and it's better than a pack of nabs. The answer is GOD!

Prayer: Lord, help us today to share all of our problems and concerns with you, no matter how big or small they are. Thank you that you are an ever-present help in all of our troubles. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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About the author:

Chad Janey
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

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