Today is
Monday, and many would feel “bleh” as they say today because yesterday was so
much fun! I know a lot of people don't work today because it’s "Easter
Monday" but for many it’s back to the daily grind.
For some
reason throughout history Monday has become a day to dread! People stress out
over work, homework, and other things due on Mon
days. But why, why should we worry about what today will bring?
days. But why, why should we worry about what today will bring?
Matthew six talks a lot about not worrying
about things... I need this because I grew up with a worry wart
mentality! I used to be called a "Polly Anna" of sorts and
was always trying to find the good in things and people... sometimes when I look back
I wonder how I did that not having God as a known constant, but still He seems
to have guided me through so much in life while giving me hope and
encouragement.
When I first
read this scripture and it was written upon my heart I was literally worrying
about what I would eat because I was single, living alone, and my job was a
preschool /day care teacher and we really did not make enough to live on.. But
God found a way to bring me food on my door step, through the day care leftovers
etc. I would get invited to a friends house for supper after church, or
happen to stop by my dad’s house just as Sunday Dinner was being cooked.
Thought I never knew what time of the afternoon my dad would cook or what he
was having it was always delightful to show up to either do laundry or to just
have a cup of coffee with my dad and get fed as well!
Its funny how
we take on worry so easily and yet the Word clearly says not to worry!
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I say to
you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink;
nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the
body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of
the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by
worrying can add one cubit to his stature?28 “So why do you worry
about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither
toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you
that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes
the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe
you, O you of little faith?31 “Therefore do not
worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we
wear?’ 32 For after all these
things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things. 33 But seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to
you. 34 Therefore do not worry
about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for
the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:25-34
Let’s think about this for
a moment; faith is the combatant to worry. If we worry we have an obvious lack
of faith. According to Matthew 6 verse
30 above.
If we allow ourselves to
worry then we are allowing ourselves to have a lack of faith in God to complete
the plan that He has given us to complete. If we allow ourselves to worry then
we will not be keeping our eyes on the prize!
So how do we increase our
faith?
We know that we have to
trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not in our own understanding…
Proverbs 3:5-6 but what do we do if we find ourselves lacking in faith?
23 Jesus said to
him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately
the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help
my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus
saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit,
saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit,
I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Mark 9 23-25
If we lack faith to
believe that God can do it, then we can do as the child’s father here did and
ask God to help our unbelief! After all we know that faith is the substance of
things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen. So if God said he would
do something, as in take care of us, our needs according to His riches in glory
then we should be able to trust him to heal our mortal bodies, or bring us food
from no where.
The Bible is full of ‘if
then’ statements! If we believe in Christ as Lord then we are given salvation.
If we believe He is able to do all things then we can through Him do whatever
He needs us to do. If we believe that we can call on the name of Jesus and be
saved then we can call on Him and trust, and know and hope that He will bring
it to pass; whatever it is that we have asked him to do.
So the Lord
said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to
this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. Luke 17:6
F- First get on your knees, in body or spirit, and
pray asking God to provide direction, guidance, healing, etc.
A- Accept that you cannot do it in or of yourself
I- Include your doubts in that prayer, admit that
you cannot do this alone, that you want to believe but are full of doubt.
T- Touch the hem o f His garment in prayer. Believe
that the healing will come if you are meant to be healed, in the way Jesus
wants you to be healed. Sometimes we have
to go through a procedure to get healed because God wants our lives to touch
others lives for His purpose!
H-Hold on to the Word of God! Remind yourself in the scriptures you read
that God is able and that with a little faith you can move a mountain, real or
spiritual! God has this! Hope you in God
the maker of heaven and heart!
Dear Heavenly Father, Help
us to trust You to know what is good and right in our lives. Help us to trust
you more, and Lord that you would grant us a bigger measure of faith. In Jesus
name, amen
Suggested reading Luke
17:1-37, Matthew 6:1-34, Hebrews 11:1-40 and Mark 9:1-50