Faith!

AUGUST 4

MATTHEW 6:27_Which of you by taking thought…

If you find a basic truth in the Bible, keep rehearsing it. Get the truth into your heart. The truth will eventually overpower worry. This is called meditation. 

Meditation works like worry only with positive results. Rehearse the truth over and over in your heart.  Seek the wisdom of the Bible and apply it to your problem. Ask God for insight, wait for it to come.

Hebrews chapter 11 (KJV) is known as the faith chapter.  There is one person included in this chapter who has a very small part in the Bible, but something extraordinary happened to him, By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

Enoch was translated from earth to heaven without ever dying! All that was really said about Enoch was “he pleased God.” This leads to, But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”  

The answer to overcoming worry? Faith!

PRAYER

God in Whom I Trust, Increase my faith that I may please You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ wants to increase my faith—I will let Him!

The What Ifs

AUGUST 3

MATTHEW 6:27_Which of you by taking thought…

Jesus lets you know where worry, fret, and stress begin—your thoughts.

You have a problem. Your brain creates a scenario of possibilities. What if this happens? Or even worse, what if that happens? And what if the very thing I want the most doesn’t happen at all? Your thoughts rehearse the scenario over and over imagining an abundance of possibilities, none of which are currently reality, and may never become so.

Taking thought allows the brain to fill the heart with stress. Proverbs 4:23 (KJV), “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” God wants your heart to issue life, not stress, which brings an abundance of health problems. If envy consumes your thoughts, then there’s Proverbs 14:30 (KJV), “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” 

God doesn’t want thought patterns to damage your heart, which in turn damage health. God wants things like John 14:1 (KJV) to rule thoughts, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me [Jesus].”

Those what ifs trouble your heart. God wants hearts free to not only believe in Him, but on Him. 

PRAYER

God of My Heart, Help me not allow my thoughts to trouble my heart. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ does not want my heart troubled—He helps me!

Easier Said than Done?

JULY 28

MATTHEW 6:25_Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink…

That’s a rather strange way for Jesus to begin a new teaching. If you don’t take thought for your life, who will? Maybe parents. If you don’t have earthly parents, surely by now you are convinced your Heavenly Father takes thought of you. You are never out of His mind or heart.

Psalm 139:1-3 (KJV),“O lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

You are always on God’s mind. He knows everything that happens in your life. There’s more to this Psalm, 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” God constantly takes thought of your life.

This is not about whether you eat your spinach, or drink your kefir. This is about worry. And release from it.

Think that’s easier said than done?   

PRAYER

Good Shepherd, Thank You for thinking of my needs every day. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ keeps me in His thoughts—He knows my needs!

While I Wait

DECEMBER 29

MATTHEW 7:29_ For he taught them as one having authority…

Freedom is the underlying principle of this entire sermon. You can add this to your freedom count as to how many times I’ve said this in the past year.

Jesus taught this sermon as The Great Healer: He gave lessons to ease worry and anxiety, and heal the soul. The healing of the soul is an important part of healing the body.   

Jesus taught as The Great Hope: Apart from Him I can do nothing good or righteous. With Him—nothing shall be impossible. Something else to add to your how many times this has been said the past year is: God controls the time table. Only He knows when my impossibilities will become possible—but I have hope! Hope keeps me on the straight and narrow while I wait.

Jesus taught as The Great Deliverer. He has shown me He can deliver me from darkness to light! Not only that—He can use me to be light!! He can use me to be salt! I can cause others to thirst for truth only Jesus can give.

Jesus taught as The Master Stonemason: One step at the time He taught me to build my life. Truth is the setting and freedom is the foundation. The architectural design for a home is reflected in a beautiful setting.

Jesus taught me how to achieve that.

 PRAYER

Lord of Lords, I want to build my life in Your setting of truth. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ gives me all I need to live like Him—Hallelujah!

Why Make It Harder?

SEPTEMBER 1

MATTHEW 6:34_Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Focus on who God is and who you are in Him! Receive extra power for the hard days. Worry only makes the hard days harder. In this verse Jesus says something to the effect of, “Life in this world is hard enough—why make it harder? Jesus lets you know He’s with you all the way.

Jesus can provide.

That doesn’t mean you may not go through lean times. If you have no needs you will never experience how God can meet them. He’ll hold and guide you on the path of discipleship and add “all these things unto you.”

Proverbs 4:18 (KJV), “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Once you’ve committed to becoming salty-lit-up disciples for Jesus—that light just keeps on shining!

1 Thessalonians 5:5 (KJV), “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”

All days are not hard, or bad, or evil. The devil would have you believe otherwise. He tempts you to worry about the future. Live free by focusing more on who God is: His grace and mercy, and His phenomenal power to transform any circumstance!

PRAYER

God Who Transforms, Thank You for the bright days I’ve had, and the ones on the way! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                         

Christ is full of light—He fills me with His light!