A MEDITATION ON WORRY: SOME FRIENDLY ADVICE

Don’t worry about anything; pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience the peace of God, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

It’s hard to imagine that the Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote this piece of friendly advice.

If anyone had the right to be worried, Paul surely did. However, instead of worrying, Paul sent a letter of encouragement to the church at Philippi. Paul’s clarity of mind is the kind that comes only from hard suffering. 

It’s nearly impossible to quantify how much of our day is wasted in worry. We worry about little things and big things alike. Worry seems justified on certain occasions, like when deployment orders arrive, or when our child is diagnosed with cancer, or when our spouse files for divorce, or when we live in the uncertainty of unemployment. However, Paul advises us not to worry, not even about the big things. Do not worry about anything. 

Paul doesn’t tell us to pretend that we don’t have anything to worry about; he says don’t worry about anything.

I don’t know about you, but if I were to stop worrying right now I’d have a lot of free time on my hands. So, my next question would be, what should I do with all of that free time? Paul says, “Pray.”

Pray about what? Pray about EVERYTHING; not just the stuff that worries me, or the stuff that I need or want. Paul says pray about everything. 

That’s a lot of praying. What if I am not very good at praying? What if I haven’t prayed for a very long time? What if I don't use the right words? What if I’ve never said a prayer before in my life?

In that case, Paul has some great advice to get us started: he instructs us to tell God our needs. I’m sure you have some needs. I do. Paul tells us to bring our needs to God. And when we do, we are also instructed to thank God for what he has already done.

When I prepare a prayer list, I usually fold a sheet of paper in half so that I have two columns, one for “prayer” and one for “praise.” Most days, the prayer column fills up faster than the praise column. That’s not because I have more needs than God can meet; that's because I find it much easier to think of things that I require God’s help with, over things that He has already provided. It's so much easier to notice all of the things that I perceive to be missing from my life, instead of noticing -- and being grateful -- for things that I already have. 

But it is good discipline to think of things to be thankful about. The Apostle Paul recognized the importance of this discipline to a healthy prayer life, and he instructed the Philippians to offer up praise and thanks, as well as petitions. 

Could life really be so simple? When I use my energy for prayer and thanksgiving instead of wasting it on needless worry, God promises to infuse my life with a peace that surpasses all understanding. This is not a fleeting peace.  It is a restful, unshakable, enduring, rejuvenating, uplifting, positive peace. So, if I can have the lasting peace of Christ, why would I ever choose to worry about anything?

CHANGE THE WORLD

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;

your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.

Psalm 138:8

You can call yourself a Christian, you can go to church every Sunday, you can do good things for others all day long, but until you spend time in the Word of God, you will never know Jesus. And if you never know Jesus, you will never grow closer to him. And if you never grow closer to Jesus, you will never have a personal and intimate relationship with him. And until you have a relationship with him, you will never grow in faith. And if you never grow in faith, you are just another person calling yourself a Christian, but you never really understand what that means for your life, the fullness of it, and the greatness of your potential to change the world. 

I SERVE A RISEN SAVIOR!

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.

Psalm 95:6-8 (NIV)

HE LIVES!!

"HE LIVES! HE LIVES! CHRIST JESUS LIVES TODAY!"

IN THIS BAD ECONOMY, I PRAISE GOD THAT MY BIGGEST DEBT HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL

He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 

Colossians 2:14

OH GOD, OUR GOD, HOW MAJESTIC IS YOUR NAME IN ALL THE EARTH!

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - - the moon and the stars you set in place - - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, what is man that you should think of him?

O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Psalm 8:3-4, 9

GOD IS ABLE TO DO WHATEVER HE PROMISES

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping - - believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have.” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years old, he figured his body was as good as dead - - and so was Sarah’s womb. 

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 

Romans 4: 18-22

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Ephesians 3:20

THERE IS VICTORY IN JESUS

Real HELP comes from God.(The Message)

From the LORD comes DELIVERANCE. (NIV)

VICTORY comes from you, O Lord. (NLT)

SALVATION belongs to the Lord. (NKJV)

Psalms 3:8 (emphasis added)


Help. Deliverance. Victory. Salvation. 
One short verse. 
Different translations. 
Same promise. 
Amen. 

IN A WORLD GONE WILD, GOD IS STILL SOVEREIGN

I get frustrated when I read or hear disparaging things said about God in the popular media. My frustration comes from reading or hearing things said by people who have no idea who God is; by people who declare themselves atheist or agnostic, or intellectual, and some who even call themselves Christian, but who wear their Christianity like an accessory to be taken off when it doesn’t suit the occasion. 

There is an old saying that’s appropriate: “You never really know a person until you are married to them.” This statement holds a lot of truth. Until you are in a committed relationship with someone - -  married to them - -  spend time with them, learn their ways, see their hearts in action, experience good times and bad times with them, you never really know that person. 

And then it might be said that you can never really know all there is to know about another person, even when you are married to them. 

So it is with God. We will never know everything there is to know about God, until He returns and reveals Himself to us. However, the more time we spend with God, the more we learn about Him, the more our relationship with Him deepens. Like folks who have been married for a while, as we spend more time with God we grow to be more like Him. We learn His tender ways, we speak softer, we grow in wisdom and understanding, we learn the benefit of forgiveness and we gain peace.

So, my question is, how can an atheist be sure that God doesn’t exist if He doesn’t know God, and if he has never spent any time with Him? 

Many adults who call themselves atheist, even agnostic, grew up in church. As children, they had religion preached at them by Christians who practiced hypocrisy and deceitfulness. (It happens.) Some people are understandably intolerant of Christianity because their trust was broken by someone in church leadership. (Despicable, but true.) Still others never recovered from the free living of their college days, when they could do and say whatever they pleased, away from the restrictions of parental authority and the judgment of good Christian mentors.(Free will doesn't always lead to freedom.)

Some non-believing adults are simply jaded by all of the bad things that have happened to them in their life, or bad things that have happened to people they love. 

It’s hard enough for a Christian to have faith in a world torn apart by hate. Life without faith seems an unnecessary hardship to endure.

Chapter 12 of the Book of Job reminds us that in a world gone wild God is still sovereign: 

My friends laugh at me, for I call on God and expect an answer (v.4). They are confounded by my faith. It seems contradictory to them that a person could be sane and believe in God at the same time. They talk badly about God and they seem to get away with it. They prosper in their disbelief and sinful living. They are absolutely convinced that everything good they have ever achieved in their lives has been by their own wit and will. Yet, any suffering they've experienced they readily attribute to God’s lack of power or non-existence. They forget that God keeps them in his power (v.6). Sometimes I forget too. I see unfairness and disparity around me and I can’t make sense of it. Why do greedy people always win while poor people lose out? Why do some people take more than they need while others never have enough? The life of every living thing is in his hand. So is the breath of every human being (v.10). Why is it that people who hate always get so much attention? Their words get amplified around the world, while anyone who has anything nice to say gets ridiculed and put down? Deceivers and deceived are both in his power (v.16). Am I crazy for believing in God? Is it worth the energy to swim against the current of popularity? Is this lunacy how we are meant to live? Is this madness all there is to look forward to in life? He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness; he brings light to the deepest gloom (v.22). When will justice be granted to those who have suffered in faith? Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old. But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his (v.13). (Bible quotes from NLT)

LOVE GOD. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.

Luke 10:27

But what if my neighbor is impossible to love? What if my spouse behaves badly? What if my parents messed up my life? What if my child lives a dark life of rebellion? What if my boss continually undermines my best effort?

God’s commandment to love is about obedience, not feeling. As Christians, we are called to: (a) love God, and (b) love our neighbor.

It is important to get the sequence right: Love God first. Love our neighbor second. We don't love God through our neighbor. We love our neighbor through God. We can appreciate the Divine wisdom of this commandment when we encounter a difficult neighbor. 

So, who is our neighbor? Is it the Joneses who live across the street in my upper middle class neighborhood? Or it is that drugged-up homeless guy who begs for money at the stoplight downtown?

If God wanted us to love only those people who are nice to us, or only those people who are easy to love, or only those people who appeal to us or agree with us, or only those people who look like us and have our same values, or only those people who go to our church, or only those people who prove they love us more than we love them, He would have been explicit in saying so. From everything I’ve read, God didn’t struggle with finding the right words for any occasion. 

How should we love God? With everything. With all of our being: heart, soul, strength and mind. Hold nothing in reserve. 

How do we love our neighbor? We love our neighbor as well as we love ourselves (The Message). To be clear, this is not a subjective standard. We love God, not ourselves, first. We love our neighbor through God. We love our neighbor with the full objective measure of God's love. When we love God first, we can't help but love all of humankind in full obedience of God's commandment.   

God's commandment is clear:

1. Love God.

2. Love your neighbor.

Nothing more is required. Nothing less is acceptable.

GOD'S WONDERFUL WORK

I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14

A SPECIAL PRAYER FOR OUR MILITARY

Father, we live in trying times, but we take comfort in knowing that You are with us.

I pray a special prayer for all military families who face uncertainty about their remuneration as a result of the ongoing federal budget dispute. 

Father, even as we face this uncertainty, we are grateful that You have provided military families with much more financial security than other (civilian) families have had during this time of protracted economic hardship. Give us patience and teach us how to support each other and how to worship You even through the current uncertainty and disruption. 

I pray a special prayer for my husband, who has the difficult job of sharing news of a potential shut down with thousands of government employees, including great American men and women from all of the services. Let him be a Christ-filled and compassionate leader. Give him wisdom and words that share encouragement and gratitude during these challenging times.

Father, we ask that You humble the hearts of our elected leaders, and that You be a powerful presence in their midst, as they negotiate a solution that serves You and the greater good of this nation. In Jesus Name. Amen.

STOP. LOOK. AND LISTEN.

If you want to know what God is saying to you: stop, look and listen.

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me.

Habakkuk 2:1

Waiting on God is not an easy assignment. It is certainly not a job for lazy or apathetic people.

Waiting on God is like guarding a watch post. We cannot fall asleep and we cannot become distracted. We must wait with full expectation that something will happen, and when it does, we must be ready. We must stand at attention and look out and listen with our eyes open and our ears attuned at all times. 

I will stand [STOP] at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see [LOOK] what he will say [LISTEN] to me.

We must stop, look and listen for God’s clear instruction. 

Like musicians in an orchestra who wait with their attention fixed on the conductor, we must keep our eyes fixed on the Great Conductor and wait for His signal: “I will look to see what he will say to me.” 

To hear God’s voice, we must wait attentively. We must actively look and listen. 

God speaks to us when we listen for His voice. When we stand in place and wait with expectation, we hear what He has to say.

From the beginning of time, God has given us His undivided attention. For the next five minutes, can you give Him yours?

Father, I stand before You, eagerly waiting to hear Your voice. Please show me Your will for my life, so that I may walk in Your path and know Your ways. Keep my eyes focused on You, so that I may see and hear what you have to say to me at all times. Defend my heart from distractions and ambush. Teach me to wait on You, Lord. Teach me to trust in You for all things. Before I make any decision, remind me to turn to You, and to stop and look and listen for Your clear instruction.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A BROKEN HEART PRAYS A BROKEN PRAYER

Truth lives in our hearts, whether it’s good truth or bad truth.

Therefore confess your sins to one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

James 5:16

Sin locked away in our hearts is like a disease.

We are told to confess our sins to one another. When we do, our hearts and bodies and minds are cleansed by God's grace. By God's mercy, we are healed. By His forgiveness, we are made righteous. By God's continual loving kindness we experience the true power and effectiveness of prayer.

“My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”  - - John Newton, author of one of the most beloved hymns of all time, Amazing Grace.

TAKE SIN SERIOUSLY

All sin is not equal, but the chance that we will all sin is equal.

So if you think that you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.

1 Corinthians 10:12

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 4:23