Passage of the Day: Matthew 6: 25 … “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”
My Journal for Today: John MacArthur, makes a stark statement when he writes for this date in Strength for Today, “To worry about the future is to sin against God.” That’s pretty clear; isn’t it? And though this will likely could be convicting to many who read this (it was for me!), MacArthur is dead-on, flat-out right!! In fact, I’ll go further to say that worrying about the future, with regard to financial well-being or personal security, may be the one category of sinfulness shared by MOST Christians.
What’s wrong with this, you may ask? Well, being concerned about the future and to seek God’s guidance in planning for it is one thing; but worrying about it is a matter of trust; isn’t it? Worrying about God’s provision may be our way of saying to God, “Lord, I believe that You died for my sins; but I just can’t trust You to provide for my needs.” Isn’t that what we really say to God when we worry about our lives?
Common … let’s admit it! To worry (i.e., holding deep anxiety) about anything is an affront to God. In fact, it strikes out at the very character of God and denies the validity of His word and His promises. Think about it! How can we, as believers, say that Paul was writing truth in Phil. 4: 19 when we hold doubts that God is going to supply for our needs? And worrying about our future is to say that our circumstances are bigger and more powerful than God can handle.
Really, I agree with Macarthur in his devotional entry for this date when he contends that worrying is a sign that a “Christian” doesn’t really know God; … because if one truly knew God deeply and intimately … if He knew and believed God’s word and His promises, … he would never doubt what God has said to us about His provisions and His power to meet our needs. Therefore, there would never be a cause to worry.
So, what is God’s prescription for the believer who worries? It is really quite simple. He would say to the anxious Christian, “Come … get to know Me. … To know Me is to love me. … To love Me is to obey Me. … To obey Me is to serve Me. … And to serve Me is to be blessed by Me.” And so, to know God as intimately as possible should be the goal of every believer who desires to eradicate worry from life.
My Prayer Today: O, Lord, I want to know You more today than yesterday … more tomorrow than today! Amen
My Journal for Today: John MacArthur, makes a stark statement when he writes for this date in Strength for Today, “To worry about the future is to sin against God.” That’s pretty clear; isn’t it? And though this will likely could be convicting to many who read this (it was for me!), MacArthur is dead-on, flat-out right!! In fact, I’ll go further to say that worrying about the future, with regard to financial well-being or personal security, may be the one category of sinfulness shared by MOST Christians.
What’s wrong with this, you may ask? Well, being concerned about the future and to seek God’s guidance in planning for it is one thing; but worrying about it is a matter of trust; isn’t it? Worrying about God’s provision may be our way of saying to God, “Lord, I believe that You died for my sins; but I just can’t trust You to provide for my needs.” Isn’t that what we really say to God when we worry about our lives?
Common … let’s admit it! To worry (i.e., holding deep anxiety) about anything is an affront to God. In fact, it strikes out at the very character of God and denies the validity of His word and His promises. Think about it! How can we, as believers, say that Paul was writing truth in Phil. 4: 19 when we hold doubts that God is going to supply for our needs? And worrying about our future is to say that our circumstances are bigger and more powerful than God can handle.
Really, I agree with Macarthur in his devotional entry for this date when he contends that worrying is a sign that a “Christian” doesn’t really know God; … because if one truly knew God deeply and intimately … if He knew and believed God’s word and His promises, … he would never doubt what God has said to us about His provisions and His power to meet our needs. Therefore, there would never be a cause to worry.
So, what is God’s prescription for the believer who worries? It is really quite simple. He would say to the anxious Christian, “Come … get to know Me. … To know Me is to love me. … To love Me is to obey Me. … To obey Me is to serve Me. … And to serve Me is to be blessed by Me.” And so, to know God as intimately as possible should be the goal of every believer who desires to eradicate worry from life.
My Prayer Today: O, Lord, I want to know You more today than yesterday … more tomorrow than today! Amen
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