Time to Give it to God

Posted by: Tom Neering from Middays | Monday, August 4th, 2025 (12:00am)

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.—Psalm 42:5

When I was young, I broke something that held value to someone in my life, and that moment became the catalyst for a growing distance between us.

I was about six years old and had found an old Herman Miller clock in our house. I was a very curious child and often liked to see how things work. I loved taking them apart and trying to put them back together. After finding this little desk clock, I knew right away that I needed to figure out all the insides to see what literally made it tick. So, I proceeded to open the clock in the most delicate of ways, and then when unsuccessful, used a less than precise way with the help of a hammer. I will say that my intention going into it was to be able to put it back together perfectly, if not somehow better...until I couldn’t.

Despite not having hurtful intentions, that I had broken the clock had really upset someone in my life. I know it might sound a bit dramatic, but truth be told since that day—even now—we’ve had a fractured relationship. I’m sure the issue goes much deeper than a clock, but that moment seems to have kept us stuck in place; unable to move beyond those hands in time. I’ve tried on occasion to reach out, but it seems I’m just unable to break through.

I share this with you because we all have people in our lives who, for their own reasons, find it hard to let go of past wounds. They will be upset about something and never let it go, holding on to it so they have a reason to be angry, to keep a distance, to have control...maybe for reasons they don’t even know anymore. Regardless, God reminds us that we are only made from dust, we are delicate creatures, and even the simplest things can get to us if we let them.

So maybe you are feeling downcast today. Maybe you feel unsettled because someone in your life is holding on to a resentment you didn’t intend to create. If so, go to God with these things. Ask Him to be in these situations. Put your hope in Him to release you from the hold that another's anger may have on your heart. Through Jesus you have freedom. You are not a slave to men, but a child to your Father, the living God!

As a different clock continues to tick in the background of my life today, I can honestly say that I pray for this person with love and compassion. I hope one day they will find peace. I can trust God for their life. May you do the same for the people in your life who may have hurt you or who you may have hurt. Because in the end, it’s not about being right, it’s about being free. And God, in His mercy, wants that freedom for every one of us.