Why You Can Trust in God's Provision - and Not Worry

Used with Permission by Randy Alcorn
Jesus tells us to “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [what you eat, drink, and wear] will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Unlike the pagans who “run after all these things” and “worry about tomorrow,” believers are told to follow Christ, live a radical life of faith, and trust God to provide (Matthew 6:25-34).

In this passage, Jesus says that God cares for the birds. Yet birds aren’t created in God’s image. Christ didn’t die for birds. The Holy Spirit doesn’t indwell birds. Birds won’t reign with Christ. But we will! So Christ asks his disciples, “Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26). If he takes care of the less valuable creatures, will he not take care of us, who are far more valuable?

Of course, the birds provide for their immediate future through labor—building nests and obtaining food for their young. But they don’t maintain one nest in the mountains and another at the beach. Neither do they fill their cellars with freeze-dried worms. Birds do the work that God created them to do; they sing when they work, they don’t hoard, and they instinctively trust their Creator to take care of them. Should we who know God’s grace do any less?

Jesus says, “Accept my sovereignty and goodness, and you won’t have to worry about tomorrow. Trust me.” All of us trust in something. The more dependable the object of our trust, the less we need to worry. The stock market isn’t God, the Wall Street Journal isn’t the Bible, your asset manager isn’t your priest, and financial experts aren’t prophets. (Prophets were put to death when their prophecies didn’t come true!) That doesn’t mean the stock market is bad, but it does mean it’s not trustworthy. It may do well for a day, a month, a year, or even a few decades. But because the stock market is uncertain, it can only produce anxiety when it becomes the object of our trust. God is the only totally trustworthy object. Therefore, he’s the only one who cannot betray our trust.

Why is this truth so hard for us to accept? If we believe that God can create us, redeem us, and bring us through death to spend eternity with him, why can’t we take him at his word when he says he’ll provide for our material needs?

If God calls on you today to share your resources with another, you must not say, “I can’t, Lord, because I don’t know where my own provisions are coming from.” Yes, you do know where they’re coming from. They’re coming from God. You may not know the form this provision will take, but you do know the Source. Like the poor widow who had no cash reserves, you know that God will take care of you, even if there are no visible resources.

If God has control of everything, and God takes care of his children, and God gives everything necessary to those who walk with him; and if you are his child, and you are walking with him—why worry? Worrying never helps anything anyway—but has hurt plenty.
Read more: http://www.epm.org/blog/2015/Jul/20/provision-not-worry#ixzz3hNuU7hLh

Don't Waste Brain Space

by Nancy Campbell - www.aboverubies.org  - Used by permission

1 Peter 5: 7, "Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." 

Isn't it amazing how we confess that we are believers, and yet we do not believe! We know the above Scripture, but do we truly believe it? Do we believe that God is caring for us? Do we believe God's Word in Psalm 139:17 that He is thinking about us all the time? In fact, His thoughts to us are more than the sands of the sea! If we did believe it, we would not fret and worry all the time, would we? And yet that is what we seem to do so much.

Many women spend most of their brain space worrying about this and that. What a waste! This space could be more profitably used to think positively. When we worry and think negatively, we do not help the situation. Worry makes the problem worse. Worry stifles creativity. You can't even see a way out of the problem when you worry. All you see is the problem.

Worry strangles the effectiveness of God's Word in your life and makes you unproductive.  Matthew 13:22 tells us that "the worries of this life" choke the Word and we become unfruitful.  In plain words, we cannot be fruitful when we worry!

The Amplified version says, "Casting the whole of your care - all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all - on Him; for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully." God does not tell you to give some of your worries to Him. He tells you to give ALL your cares to Him. That means EVERY ONE. The big ones and the little ones. In fact, if you get into the habit of giving the little ones to Him, it will be natural to give the big ones to Him.

In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus tells us not to worry about our life, what we should eat, what we should drink, what we should wear or what will happen tomorrow! Dear mother, you don't have to waste brain space fretting about these things. Instead, thank Him that He has promised to provide them for you.

Worry is thinking about "me," rather than trusting in God and His infallible Word. We waste a lot of valuable brain space thinking about ourselves.  Many years ago, God spoke to me.  His voice was so strong to my heart that it was like an audible voice.  "Nancy," He said, "How can I reveal to you the needs of others if you are always thinking about yourself?"  What a challenge!

If we spend all our brain space thinking about ourselves and insignificant things, we leave no room for God to bring to our mind the needs of others. Or to give us creative dreams and visions. God wants to pour out His love upon His people and those who are poor and hurting, but He has to do it through us. He looks for those whose minds have space for Him to share His secrets, His strategies and His creative answers to the problems around us. Sadly, many times our minds are so consumed with self-pity and worry that God cannot get in even a fraction of an inch to tell us about someone who needs our prayers or help.

Will you throw all your worries upon the Lord, knowing that He is caring for you? He is thinking about you and knows the answers far better than you. Trust Him to work it out. Give God room in your brain for the creative things that He wants to say to you.

PRAYER:
"Lord, I thank you that because you are thinking about me all the time, I don't have to waste my time thinking about myself. I trust you to care for me and for my family. I yield my mind to you for the important things you want to say to me. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:  I am finished with fretting and regretting. I am now receiving and believing!

Housecleaning

Author unknown

Last Week I threw out Worrying, it was getting old and in the way.  
It kept me from being me; I couldn't do things God's way.

I threw out a book on MY PAST (didn't have time to read it anyway). 
Replaced it with NEW GOALS, started reading it today.

I threw out hate and bad memories, (remember how I treasured them so)?
Got me a NEW PHILOSOPHY too, threw out the one from long ago.

Brought in some new books too, called I CAN, I WILL, AND I MUST.
Threw out I might, I think and I ought.  WOW, you should've seen the dust.

I ran across an OLD FRIEND, haven't seen him in a while.
I believe his name is GOD, Yes I really like His style.

He helped me to do some cleaning and added some things Himself.
Like PRAYER, HOPE AND FAITH, Yes I placed them right on the shelf.

I picked up this special thing and placed it at the front door.
I FOUND IT- its called PEACE.  Nothing gets me down anymore.

Yes, I've got my house looking nice.
Looks good around the place.
For things like Worry and Trouble, there just isn't any space.

It's good to do a little house cleaning, get rid of the things on the shelf.
It sure makes things brighter; maybe you should try it yourself.
Be blessed and be a blessing to someone else!