John Deere & Jesus Christ

My lawnmower quit working. It was not a total surprise, since it was about 35 years old and I knew the engine was getting weak. The fact that it lasted that long is a testimony that John Deere has made some decent mowers through the years. Still, I was discouraged that my day was messed up and the grass was getting longer.
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It is not unusual for us to face such challenges in life. Maybe the car won’t start or you have a flat tire. Perhaps the problem is more serious, such as a job loss or an illness. Learning to trust God with the little things like a broken lawn mower can help us to face the bigger challenges in life.
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Romans 5:1-4 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope“ (NKJV).
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If my trust were in John Deere rather than Jesus Christ, my whole world would have fallen apart when the lawn mower would not run. Because I have peace with God through Jesus Christ, I realize that His grace is sufficient for the trials of life.
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In fact, as Romans 5:3 says, I can actually glory in tribulations. In other words I can boast as I rejoice about the problems I face. I am not talking about being a masochist. I do not look forward to problems- instead I realize that when they do come, I can trust God and even allow Him to use them in my life.
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As I look at Romans 5:3-4, I understand that God used these trials to help me persevere so that I have the sort of enduring patience that will allow me to better face the larger challenges in life. “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope“ (Romans 5:3-4 NKJV).
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Not only are patience and character built up through the trials in life, but as we come through them, we realize that there is hope. When I could not get the lawn mower running, I decided to go to Craigslist and find one that would get me by until I could get the other one fixed. I thought I had found one, but that led to another trial because when we showed up to look at it, it would not start. Suddenly, the seller was facing an even greater trial than I was as he shared his embarrassment.
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I did not buy that lawnmower from him, but I found something even better- the stranger trying to sell his lawn mower became my friend. Friends are far better than lawnmowers. This is a great reminder that even in trials there is hope.
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The story gets even better. When I called my brother and told him of my problems, he told me that he had an extra mower that wasn’t in the best of shape but it would probably work for a while. I went to pick it up, but stopped at a Snapper dealer on the way and found a really nice used mower at an excellent price- such a good price that it was not worth fixing up my old mower. Not all our trials work out as good as this one did, but it is a reminder that we can trust God and have hope even when things are not going so well.