Devotional Song: … Go to this link … Please take the time to take in a video of Alan Jackson, singing the old hymn… What A Friend We Have In Jesus, exhorting Christians to take all our burdens to the Lord in prayer ,,, And THEN ON TO THIS LINK … to hear Gary Chapman, singing a similar message in another old hymn, written by an African American song writer, Charles Tinley … Leave It There. Yes, I know these are repeated from my blog of yesterday; but there’s no need to come up with new illustration songs when these are perfect for today’s blog as well.
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” [Prov. 3: 34] 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
… A course in stress reduction 101.
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Highlight Context - 1st Peter 5: 1-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK … … Reducing stress in life - anyone interested?
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Reference Passage #1 - Proverbs 3: 5-6 [NKJV] ...
5 Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding. 6 In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.
… Solomon declared it. But do we believe it; and even more importantly, do we live it?
Reference Passage #2 - Matthew 6: 33-34 [NKJV] ...
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
… In our stress-filled life, do we apply God’s #1 crash course in worry free living… following Jesus!
Reference Passage #3 - Romans 8: 28 [NKJV] ...
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
… One of Paul’s toughest admonitions to live by.
Reference Passage #4 - 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul, dealing with horrible pain and suffering, which he tried to pray away, … then he remembering a lesson given to him by Jesus on humility and trusting in God’s grace - ALWAYS!
Reference Passage #5 - Philippians 4: 6-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s prescription for dealing with anxiety … What, me worry?!!
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread devotional entry, authored by David C McCasland, also quoted Oswald Chambers today, who wrote (with a bit of enhancement), “I will never think of anything that [God, my Father] will forget, so why should I worry?”
And McCasland’s point is that it is fruitless for us to worry about stuff over which God has total control. Corrie Ten Boom, the famous Dutch evangelist, was quoted to have said, ”Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”
And these quotes sparked a memory from my childhood, when “Mad Magazine” was first published back in the mid 50s [see attached photo]; and almost every publication had the fictitious character of Alfred E. Neuman on the cover, using the logo phrase, "What? … Me Worry?!" Neuman was pictured to be a goofy looking, but impish, character that was wise and carefree in a world that was becoming more and more ominous … as the cold war escalated.
Today, I charge any reader here to go back and use the song links, which I also used in my blog yesterday, and meditate strongly on the highlight and reference Scriptures above. This is my strong exhortation; because … today, in our 21st Century stress-laden world, we need more of the Alfred E. Neuman philosophy in our lives. But even more than that, we need the stance of living taken by Jesus, when He preached, during His sermon on the mount [see Matthew 6: 34], of surrendering our cares, just as the Apostle Peter also wrote in today’s highlight passage … to cast ALL our cares on God, … because He so cares for us, and even more because our God is SO in control! The question, from God’s word above is … Do we believe Him? And do we live the “What? Me Worry?” lifestyle?
Yes, … I need more of Alfred E. Neuman’s attitude in my life; but even more faith in my God! … How about you?
My Prayer Today: Lord, as I wrote yesterday in my prayer, I surrender again today, doing what Peter exhorted me to do … to take my cares - ALL of them - to You in prayer because You care for me and because You are God and I am not!! Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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