2008-03-07
Good Morning Cherished Ones,
How difficult some people find it to realize that they are not only cherished by other people, but even more importantly, by our Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They don't even realize that one of His names is Jehovah Jirah, which means "God Will Provide." We've been hovering over MT 6: 24-34 for some time now, and I'm not going to apologize for that, because there is so much spiritual treasure to mine from this passage of the Sermon on the Mount. So, bear with me a little longer, as we continue to dig for it.
You'll remember that MT 6: 31-34 deals with Christ's directive not to worry about the basic needs of our lives, but instead to, "Be concerned above all else with the Kingdom of God and with what He requires of you, and He will provide you with all these other things." This passage closes with (34), "So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings." It's at this point that I will write about my own long-fought battle with the propensity to worry, as I must.
I come from a mother, who while being a loving and good mother, doesn't have faith and who rejects Jesus Christ. She is a person born in an era [1913] when children were seen, but not heard. Blaming all my worrying on my mother is not only immature, but unacceptable. As an adult, I have the power to change this. But through being widowed twice after long-term marriages to men who dominated her, my mother never learned to have self-confidence. To make matters worse, managing household budgets and dealing with money, in general, were never her strengths, nor are they mine. I learned all too well how to worry, and as an adult must take responsibility for falling into that trap even now. It's my cross to bear! It's also a sign of a gap in my trust in God, one of which I'm not proud. Thankfully, through counseling and coming to faith in Jesus Christ, I got the rest of my life together, separate from this internal deep-seated fear. But I still fall into the snare set for me by Satan where worrying is concerned. The Holy Spirit tells me to pray PS 31: 3-5. "You are my Refuge and Defense; guide me and lead me as You have promised. Keep me safe from the snare that has been set for me; shelter me from danger. I place myself in Your care. You will save me, Lord; You are a faithful God."
My situation is compounded by the fact that my son constantly warns me to learn to keep our books, reiterating his own worries about me. He also denies Jesus Christ and is a traditional Jew. Both he and his capable wife know how to deal with money, but learning that came later in his life with his wife's help. My long-patient husband has tried to show me how to do this, and by the next day, the evil one has caused me to forget or not understand what I was taught about it. Now, that's a confession, but not an excuse. I'm still needing to take the responsibility for my problem. This is where I must submit to the Lord; I must trust that He would carry me though if, God forbid, I should ever need to take over for Peter. He would either clarify my mind, enabling me to learn, or He would see to it that trustworthy people would be supplied to help me. It's not enough to know what I should do, but that must be followed with action. Remember JAS 2: 17, "So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead." We can always count on our "parent-apostle," James, to be forthright! Please pray that I will have the courage to take God's advice through Joshua, in JS 1: 9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." If you are able to relate to what I have felt all my life, then I pray for you too.
We sang "Holy Holy" by Mary McLean in church recently. This praise song reminds us that "God was, is, and is to come." In other words, God is eternal. He is worthy of glory, power, and majesty. All creation worships Him. If that is true, then why should we question that we should trust in Him? And yes, I believe that God is worthy of these things and much, much more that is wonderful. IS 40: 6-8 expresses both the finiteness of human earthly life and the eternal nature of God's word. "A voice says, ‘Cry out.' And I said, ‘What shall I cry?' ‘All men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the world of our God stands forever.'" Why mention the word of God here? JN 1: 1-4 clarifies that. "Before the world was created, the Word already existed; He was with God, and He was the same as God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. Through Him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without Him. The Word was the Source of life, and this life brought light to mankind." Moreover Christ's death on the cross opens the way to salvation for all who repent of their sins and have faith in Him- true faith. That is why JN 3: 16 should be remembered and brought to mind frequently. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believers in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." The bottom line is that if we have true faith, are obediently faithful, we have no need to worry. For myself and anyone else who worries, God is asking us to examine our faith and take the steps necessary to cease our worrying, placing our faith in Him.
PRAYER: O Lord, we come before Your throne with utmost reverence to praise, thank, and honor You for being the awesome God You are. In the Son's own words, in MT 6: 28-30, Your teaching is expressed. "And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow; they do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all this wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God Who clothes the wild grass –grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't He be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have!" Worrying is a curse of the devil! You not only supply us from the treasures of Your blessings when we have faith in You, but You give us inner peace available from no other source. PHIL 4: 19, "And with all His abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs." IS 26: 3, "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You. Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the Eternal Rock." Dearest Abba, we are unable to overcome issues like worrying without You. We must be reminded, that "We can do all things through Jesus Christ Who strengthens us" [PHIL 4: 13]. We are at the place with our faith where the rubber hits the road. There can be no turning back to our former lives, lives fraught with doubts, rejection, and immaturity. Some parts of this road to spiritual maturity are so difficult for us that we, in our weakened state, that cannot walk beside You. Those are the times when we must turn to You for help and when You have the compassion to pick us up and carry us. We remember PS 31: 5, worth restating. "I place myself in Your care. You will save me, Lord; You are a faithful God." Eternal thanks and praise to You, for we would be lost without You. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Next week, the Holy Spirit leads me to ask these questions: Does God ever lie? Are we poor? Through His word, He answers them. How easy it is for us to underrate God's power, justice, and willingness to help us! PS 102: 11-12, "My life is like the evening shadows; I am like dry grass. But You, O Lord, are King forever; all generations will remember You." PS 7: 8-11, "You are the Judge of all mankind. Judge in my favor, O Lord; You know that I am innocent. You are a righteous God and judge our thoughts and desires. Stop the wickedness of evil men and reward those who are good. God is my Protector; He saves those who obey Him. God is a righteous Judge and always condemns the wicked." JN 16: 23, "In the world, you shall have tribulation; but, be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." We too, will "overcome the world" with endurance in faith and trust in God. This is only possible, because of the greatest sacrifice of all, made by the Father for each of us- the Atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross. In no other belief system is such a wonderful truth known. With willingness to seek out God, we can feel His comforting arms around us. PS 27: 5, "In times of trouble He will shelter me; He will keep me safe in His temple and make me secure on a high Rock." Praise be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn