October 23, 2009 ~ This ‘N That

This morning in my own devotional time, a couple of things that I read, both in the scripture and in an online devotional that I regularly read, stood out.  I thought I’d just take a minute to share them with you so that you could be blessed by them too.  Have a great day with the Lord!

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From David Wilkerson’s daily devotional:

“Jesus calls us to a way of living that gives no thought about tomorrow and puts our future wholly into his hands: “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself” (Matthew 6:31-34).

 Jesus doesn’t mean that we are not to plan ahead or do nothing about our future. Rather, he is saying, “Don’t be anxious or troubled about tomorrow.” When you think about it, most of our anxieties are about what might happen tomorrow. We’re constantly harassed by two little words: What if?

“What if the economy fails, and I lose my job? How will I pay the mortgage? How will my family be able to survive? And what if I lose my health insurance? If I get sick or have to be hospitalized, we’ll be ruined. Or, what if my faith fails me in trying times?” We all have a thousand “what if” anxieties.

 Jesus interrupts our “what ifs” and tells us, “Your heavenly Father knows how to take care of you.” He tells us further, “You don’t need to worry. Your Fathers know you have need of all these things, and he won’t ever forsake you. He is faithful to feed you, clothe you and take care to supply all your needs.”

 “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, not gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them…. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin…even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

 “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” (Matthew 6:26, 28-30).

 We gladly give all our yesterdays to the Lord, turning over to him our past sins. We trust him for forgiveness of all our past failures, doubts and fears. So, why don’t we do the same with our tomorrows? The truth is, most of us cling tightly to our future, wanting the right to hold on to our dreams. We make our plans independent of God, and then later ask him to bless and fulfill those hopes and desires.”

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And this from my daily Psalms reading:

“Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself, the Lord will hear when I call to him.”  ~ Psalm 4:3 (NIV)

Here were the notes for this particular scripture (from the Life Application Bible) that meant so much to me.  Who hasn’t been in a place where it seemed that their prayers sometimes didn’t reach higher than the ceiling?  I suppose we’ve all been there, but isn’t it reassuring to know that He hears us when we call?

“The godly are those who are faithful and devoted to God.  David knew that God would hear him when he called and would answer him.  We too can be confident that God listens to our prayers and answers when we call on him.  Sometimes we think that God will not hear us because we have fallen short of his high standards for holy living.  But if we have trusted Christ for salvation, God has forgiven us, and he will listen to us.  When you feel as though your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, remember that as a believer you have been set apart by God and that he loves you.  He hears and answers, although his answers may not be what you expect.  Look at your problems in the light of God’s power instead of looking at God in the shadow of your problems.”

Don’t you just LOVE that last sentence?  Yeah, me too!