Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Philippians 4:6 NLT

That is a wonderful verse of Scripture from the apostle Paul’s letter to the Christians in Philippi.

This is something I’ve been thinking about lately. I’ve been praying and making a considerable effort to give all of my cares to God so that I do not worry. I’m not an excessive worry but I know that many people are drowning in the cares of daily life and the problems that their experiencing to such an extent that is crippling.

Whether you worry a little or a lot the fact of the matter is to worry is sin.  We are commanded not to worry but you trust in God.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25 NIV

When we allow worry about our daily problems to become our focus we sin against God.  God calls us to “set our minds on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” Col 3:2

When we allow worry to control our thoughts it says that we do not really believe that God is in control of our lives. I was loved the Scripture “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 NIV

That is probably one of my favorite Scripture passages and it is one that I have often referred to at times of anxiety and concern about the future. I can just hear my loving Father saying” Be still and know that I am the sovereign God of the universe and not even a sparrow falls to the ground without my approval. Rest in this and know that I am in control.”

Isn’t that a beautiful thought?

Jesus told us that we are to set our minds on things above and not on the things of this earth. How can we do that if we’re worried about earthly things? I’m convinced that God wants his children to be fixed on him and his righteousness and not to be preoccupied with the mundane matters of this life that can so easily distract us and cripple our advancement in righteousness.

Stop worrying. Refuse to allow yourself to focus on the what-ifs of the future. Cast your cares on him and say with Job, “even if he should slay me yet I will praise him.”

When I am tempted to worry I turn to Scripture and prayer. I encourage you to do the same. The peace of God and our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

There are some who are adamant that the King James Bible (KJV) is the only true translation of scripture in line with 2 Timothy 3:16 and no other translation is God’s Word.

They are so firm in this belief that all they want to do is argue about how some of the other versions are “from the devil.”

People who care more about the King James Bible than the Word of God are those “who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit” as described in Jude 1:19 and having the appearance of godliness but denying its power. To do this is to deny the power of God and his Holy Spirit. It is satanic.

One of the translations that is attacked most viciously is The Living Bible which is a paraphrase. While I prefer a more literal translation like New King James, English Standard Version or NASB I will not put God in a box.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:16-18) I will tell you that it was The Living Bible wherein God produced a living faith in me one summer when I was about 19 years old. I was born again while reading this paraphrase “of the devil” and my life was never the same again.

She admitted to living in a state of deep spiritual loneliness. She even referred to it as torture.

Have you ever felt like that?  You pray, go to church and do all the right things but still nothing.

It can seem as if God simply doesn’t care. Like he isn’t even listening. Some have referred to this experience as a dark night of the soul.

I recently saw a Christian bumper sticker that said “if God seems distant, it isn’t God who left.”

That is baloney and a lie.

It happens to even the most devote of Christians and this tells me that it is a natural part of our growth in the Lord.  It even happened to John the Baptist and Jesus said he was the greatest man who ever lived.

Matthew 11:2-6

2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

John the baptist, this mighty preacher who baptized Jesus and prepared the way is now questioning who Jesus is.

Think about it.

He was in prison all alone. He had prepared the way for Jesus. He baptized him and saw the dove descend from heaven. He heard the voice of God on that day. But now he was in prison and must have been thinking, “Jesus, where are you? “  I am sure he felt abandoned by God and like we all do at times he too questioned his own faith.  I am sure he too questioned everything he believed.

Jesus replied that John should simply look around and see what he was doing.

When you feel the same I encourage you to look around and see what God is doing in the world even if He feels far from you personally.

Keep praying and seeking Him through the Word.

Even when God seems distant we always have His Word through the Bible and that is where we can always hear him speak.

If you do a thorough study of Scripture you will find that Angels are constantly guiding, protecting, providing delivering, and serving those who belong to Christ.

In many instances people in the Bible were delivered or protected by Angels and didn’t even know it.

Isn’t that exciting?

In Acts 12:6-11, Peter was in prison and bound with chains between two soldiers when an angel of the Lord came to him and removed the chains and he walked out without being noticed.

In that story Peter didn’t even know that was an angel who rescued him. He thought that he had a vision.

Is it exciting to know that there is no circumstance in your life or situation that you may have gotten yourself into that God cannot deliver you from if he so chooses?

Living in developed, democratic and free nations with a steady and consistent income, retirement accounts, and freedom to worship as we wish can make it difficult to really understand what it means to live by faith.

I found this to be true my own life.

It was not until I lost 80% of my income and they foreclosed on our home that I started to have a deeper understanding of what it means to live by faith. I now live by faith day by day trusting in God and his grace and provision. These developments in my life caused me to grow to another level of communion and fellowship with the Lord Jesus. I now thank God for these mercies that some might otherwise consider disasterous and utter failure.

I’m learning to trust God by faith day by day. While there are others in much worse circumstances I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn how to truly trust God for our daily bread. In fact I consider it such a blessing and  wonderful and I pray that God would keep me in place where I have no hope but in his provision.

Whatever it takes for us to learn how to trust God I assure you it is worth it. I believe that nothing matters more to God than our relationship and trust in him. He wants us to lean on him completely and yet we allow our daily concerns to turn into worry and therefore sin when we become so focused on securing our future than seeking his kingdom today.

I believe God does not want his children preoccupied with providing security for the future in this life but rather he wants us completely focused on loving him and our neighbor as Jesus commanded. When we do that we can rest assured that he will care for us. God says don’t worry about the basics. Live by faith, love me with your whole heart and I will take care of the rest.

That is why the Scripture says, ”Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” Col 3:2.

This doesn’t mean that we should be lazy. Scripture also says that those who do not work should not eat.

The problem is we spend so much time working to secure our future instead of working for today. Jesus said we are not to lavish on ourselves what God has given us for serving him and our neighbor. Jesus said not to lay up for yourselves treasures on earth but rather treasures in heaven by seeking first the kingdom of God.

It is time we started worrying less about our retirement accounts and more on loving God and our neighbors as ourselves. I pray that God would help me to continue growing in faith and that as things improve financially for my family that we would continue trusting God by faith alone.

Fenelon

“Today we see more and more that all the suffering in the world has started from home. Today we have no time even to look at each other, to talk to each other, to enjoy each other, and still less to be what our children expect from us, what the husband expects from the wife, what the wife expects from the husband. And so more and more we are out of our homes in less and less in touch with each other.” Mother Teresa

“Jesus wrecked my life. For as long as I can remember, I had everything this world says is important. In high school, I was class president, homecoming queen, top of my class. I dated cute boys, wore cute shoes and drove a cute sports car. I had wonderful, supportive parents who so desired my success that they would’ve paid for me to go to college anywhere my heart desired. But I loved Jesus.”

 

the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. CS Lewis