The Great Care Of Your Life

I absolutely love this commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G7bGBUlx2M

The singer by the way is Ray LaMontaigne and the CD is “Trouble”.

Now why would that dog be worrying; he has the Life of Riley (look it up young people!).

That silly pup is no different than people, and unfortunately you can’t distinguish the saved from the unsaved when it comes to worrying about material things. And we’ve already learned that it is sin to worry, so what is the protection and provision behind Jesus’ precept against worry? There is always one there you know? It’s up to us to discover it:

    “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:31-34)

How is our Lord protecting us and providing for us when He tells us not to worry?

Look around us today; is there not plenty to worry about with the state of our nation and world events. It is as though the world is crashing down around us. So how should Christians act when this happens? Imagine the response from a lost soul when they ask you if you’re worried about what is happening today, and you say, “No, not at all”? Would not that invoke the question “Why?” from that person?

However, if you wring your hands and shake your head up and down vigorously and eek out an “uh-huh”, well then you are no different than they are. No need for you to talk about Jesus with that person because the comfort of Christ is not real in your life. Look what our Lord said worry does to the gospel:

    “And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them… Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:7, 22)

Worry kills our witness, plain and simple.

It also steals our joy. Look what Solomon wrote in the Psalms:

    “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:2)

Might I help you out in the same way the Holy Spirit helped me? It has been 14 years since He taught me this, but one day in my prayer and meditation time I was so worried about the future and the Holy Spirit gently told me that I worry because I don’t trust the Father. At first I wanted to argue with the Holy Spirit but again He gently reminded me of Jesus words, “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

I can honestly say that settled it for me. I would like to tell that worry has since left my soul, but that is not true. But what I can tell you to the glory of God is that I always go back to the teaching of the dear Holy Spirit that my heavenly Father knows what I need. My goodness beloved, if I cannot rest in that comforting truth, in what can I trust. I mean we even put on our currency that we trust in God!

So how do we overcome this? Take it to the Lord, that’s what the Apostle Paul taught us:

    “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

I actually used to carry that passage around in my pocket and many times a day I would take it out and read it out loud.

I like what Oswald Chambers said about our passage and how if we will change our mind to that of Christ’s, our outlook we be completely reversed:

    The great concern of our lives is not the kingdom of God, but how we are to fit ourselves to live. Jesus reverses the order: Get rightly related to God first, maintain that as the great care of your life, and never put the concern of your care on the other things.

If we will do that then I can promise you on the authority of the Word of God worry will no longer haunt us.

Then we can turn our sights on another personal affliction: self-righteousnessness.

We’ll begin tackling that tomorrow…

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2011 David Jeffers

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