Dear Partner,

A businessman who is a close friend of mine recently received news from his primary supplier that he was going to have to pass along cost increases to his customers that were going to double what they were currently paying. Think of it … suddenly without warning, you have to double the price you are charging your customers. His first thought was this was going to make his business very noncompetitive. You can imagine the images the devil immediately began painting in his mind. Images of his customers leaving in droves to his competitors, no longer being able to pay his bills and support his family, and so forth. (Trust me when I say I am an expert at knowing those kinds of images from all the years in the early days of ministry when money "was staying away in great abundance.")

My friend is a strong believer and his business is fully dedicated to God. He immediately began seeking the Lord for wisdom as to what to do. He fully expected to hear from heaven some form of business wisdom that would completely change the situation in an instant. He was expecting to hear wisdom something like, "change to this pricing method, or perhaps create that sort of bundling of the product, or …" some sort of instruction in the natural realm. But after a season of prayer he did not hear anything from the Lord. So he did what I often do in such situations. He took a nap.

During the nap he remembered a video I had shown him one time of my nine year old grandson doing what I call, "Red Shoe Dancing." Cole's parents had given him a brand new pair of red Converse tennis shoes that he just loved. He put them on and said, "These shoes make me so happy I just have to dance in them." He began to dance and dance in those red shoes and I recorded a segment of it as a video on my iPhone.

When my businessman friend woke up from the nap the "wisdom from above" was so clear. The most important thing for him to do was, "Do not take the care." His first instruction was to remain as free from worry as my grandson was while he was "Red Shoe Dancing."

1Pe 5:7-8   Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

The devil is not a roaring lion. He walks about "as" a roaring lion. He can only "devour" those who "take the care." When hard times come the first thought we should remember is, "My God is bigger than this problem." It was not the giants that kept Israel out of the Promised Land for forty years. It was fear that they could not overcome the giants "in their own strength." Notice they said, "… we be not able." But God is able. God is bigger than every problem. God encourages us to look to Him always as our Source, our Strength, and our Provider.

We should remain as carefree as my grandson no matter the "evil report" that comes our way. Our hearts and minds should always be "Red Shoe Dancing" without a worry in the world. As long as we continue to cast ALL of our care upon Him, we will come through every trial shouting victory in the Name of Jesus! Look at this outstanding promise of God:

Heb 4:16   Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

You will always find two things at the throne of grace … mercy and grace. Mercy comes first because none of us are perfect. We all stumble at times. I am thinking of the man in the gospels who brought his lunatic son to Jesus because the disciples were not able to cast the devil out of him. Jesus told that father, "All things are possible to him that believeth." The man said, "Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief!" And the Lord did exactly that and cast the devil out of his son. He had mercy on the man's unbelief first, and then applied "grace to help" in the man's time of need to set his son free. Hallelujah. Mercy first, and then "grace to help" in our time of need. The devil can never devour people who live at the throne of grace.

I have no doubt that as my businessman friend continues to seek the Lord he will receive additional instruction from Him on what to do. But the first instruction is the most important one, not only for him, but for each of us all the time. Resist fear. Resist worry. No matter if the emotions want to enter into fear and worry a dozen times an hour … REFUSE to take the care. Be carefree on the inside. Be "Red Shoe Dancing" in your heart and mind trusting fully that your heavenly Father has taken the care instead of you. No problem is bigger than Him and His "grace to help" is at work on your behalf.

Sue and I love you and appreciate you.   We thank God for your generous and giving heart.   God bless you!

Your friend and co-laborer,

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