by David Brenneman
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34.
There are actually several things you can do in and of yourself to help Satan's agenda in this world and one of the easiest is to worry about things, problems, situations in this life of yours rather than to take those things to God in prayer.
Satan loves to, and historically he's taught his minions to, get people to focus on the enormity of a situation or problem rather than the enormity of God.
We sometimes will even convince ourselves that we're not worrying, we're just 'intensely concerned' within ourselves.
That's still worrying.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21.
We either are going to walk by faith and not by sight or we're not.
Let's start with history. Your history in Christ. Has there ever been an instance where Jesus failed you? Has there ever been a time when He didn't prove He cares for you? Have you ever seen Him ignore you?
While the answers to your prayers might not be what you were expecting or even looking for they were answered. So why do the foolish thing and keep things to yourself rather than to deliver them, both the small and the great things to Jesus?
Truly there's nothing that the Almighty Creator of the Universe can't do in accordance with His will, His character, His love for us and His obedience to His Father.
Ours is to bring the things that are on our hearts and minds to Jesus for Him to handle. That's walking by faith. He may yet hand you a shovel to help out in your answer to your prayer but He will answer. Quite often ours is a mindset to just get Jesus to fix things rather than for us to get our hands dirty.
Peter, James, John, Paul, Jude, and others we read about that many think of as pillars of the Church...got that distinction not from worrying but through prayers and walking by faith, by going through things that the Spirit directed rather than by avoiding those things that were to grow them in Christ.
You miss the very best point of why you face situations, they are just situations in the eyes of God, in that they come to you to grow you in Christ.
"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." Hebrews 12:11.
There's a very distinct point to why situations come and go in your life.
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.
While you may be caught by surprise...no part of the Trinity that is God ever was.
These things we experience are going to grow us in Christ. These things are for our sanctification.
Keep the right attitude in Christ Jesus. Keep your prayers going and your thankfulness to God in Christ Jesus that you aren't alone in what you face. That He has heard you and that He will still do what is best for you.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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