Tag: worry

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Triumphs over Trials

DON’T WORRY – TRUST GOD

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, Triumph over Trials / w4d2

THE JOURNEY (SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVATION)

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-7; SOAP: verses 6-7

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 NLT

Do you remember the phrase – “Don’t worry, be happy … put a smile on your face.”? The phrase is from a song that became popular in the late eighties. Admittedly, I didn’t know it as a song but a simple, catchy phrase that everyone was using – myself included. I haven’t thought of that phrase in more years than I can remember but it popped into my mind as I was SOAPing today’s passage – but with a bit of a tweak: “Don’t worry, trust God, He’ll put a smile on your face.”

If you have been journeying with me through the Word for very long, you might remember that verse seven of 1 Peter 5 is one of my favorites. I’ve shared many times that it was a life-altering verse for me – to know that He cares enough NOT only to save me from my sins but to also take my cares – ALL my cares – on Himself.

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”

C.S. Lewis

I confess it is really easy to make this a stand-alone verse, but studying it today with the whole passage—the Holy Spirit helped me see it with fresh eyes and an even deeper appreciation for the verse—as it is written in conjunction with Peter’s instructions to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand. In other words, bringing God our cares is not only a privilege of getting rid of our anxieties but an act of humbling ourselves before Him – in a huge act of faith that says I can’t handle this but I know and trust that You can because You are in perfect control of all things. According to verse five, and my own experience through the years – this act of faith is met with God’s grace.

Humility doesn’t come naturally. So Peter tells us to put humility on, “covering our pride to promote each other above ourselves,” because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

adapted from bibleref.com/1 Peter 5:5
LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)
  • Humility doesn’t come naturally, so put it on daily like a piece of clothing.1
    • As used in Scripture, “humility” does not mean weakness or self-hatred. It means a proper appreciation of how we are, in relationship to God. It means strength under control.2
  • Keep your pride in check, remembering that God opposes the proud.
    • don’t be too proud to tell Him about the things that concern you
  • Love others as yourself (Jn 13:34, Mark 12:29-31)
  • Don’t worry3 – trust God and let Him put a smile on your face by casting all your anxieties (cares) on Him, because you trust He cares for you and is in perfect control
Question FOR THE JOURNEY

In what areas of your life are you struggling to release control and trust God? How can you practice humility this week by casting your burdens on Him?

PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY

Father, when I was a teenager, You used an elderly couple to share Peter’s words about giving You all of my cares because You care for me. You have used this verse to literally save me from crippling anxiety and I am forever grateful. I pray that those who are reading this today will be convicted to take hold of this awesome privilege You have given to Your children, for when we give You our cares and concerns Your grace washes over us filling us with peace and strength and joy. May we encourage one another daily with this truth so that we do not become burdened down by our cares and anxieties. Guard us from pride for we know that You oppose the proud but give grace to the humble. Humility doesn’t come naturally to us, so may Your Holy Spirit remind us daily to put it on as a piece of clothing, loving others more than ourselves and trusting You with all our cares. Help us not to worry but to be happy and may the world see the reflection of Your grace on our face.

Music for the Journey
THE MORE WE KNOW

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Lent, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Pursuit of the Kingdom

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, Lent – A Season of Drawing Close to God / w4d2

THE JOURNEY (SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVATION)

Scripture: Luke 12:13-34 / SOAP: verses 29-30

“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 

Luke 12:29-30 NLT

I find the fact that God already knows our needs and every detail of our situations in life quite comforting and encouraging. However, I confess that I still often find myself struggling with worry. The latest/current example is a situation with my mom, who – (for reasons like physical health, dementia, loneliness, and because the house had outgrown her) – needed to move into an assisted living community.

Prayer for wisdom and direction as well as grace and peace in the wait was a daily habit.

Money and availability at the “right place” were an immediate factor but God gave me a glimmer of hope that it was financially doable so we paid the deposit to put her name on a waiting list. Weeks turned into months and months into nearly a year. In the early stages I would call occasionally to gage the ‘hope’ factor of a space opening up – which was kind of silly since the waiting list was long and we weren’t at the top and the unknown factors of how and when a room would open were near to impossible for the director to even know. Yet, maybe if I kept calling she would realize the urgency and somehow put mom ahead of the others. Yes, I know how that sounds but it’s where I was in the moment and I’d like to say it stopped there but it didn’t. No, my mind went so far as jealousy over those who were getting in ahead of her! I’m not proud of these thoughts but I share them because today’s Scripture reminded me just how much I looked like the man in the parable. Concern for my mom had turned into worry and excessive planning and even envious thoughts for something that was completely out of my control.

Early on in the process, probably before the deposit was made, I began to pray every day as I drove by the road to the assisted living facility that God would create an opening and that we would get the call. However, as I realized what the desperate desire and worry were doing to my mind I gave it over to the Father and began praying:

“Father, when the time is right for mother and if it is Your will for her to move – will You please open a door to the room You want her to have.”

This was more than a prayer it was a daily exercise of faith in the God who knew not just my mother’s needs but mine and it was the daily reminder (multiple times a day, as the facility is on my way to and from work and nearly anywhere else I would be going) that He was in complete and perfect control. There was so much comfort and worship that came from the prayer. There was growth and there was peace and grace; and without a shadow of a doubt I can say that He used every day, week, and month of those prayers to make what had become a tense relationship between mom and I one that was covered with grace and peace and even more and more moments of sweet memories and laughter. Perhaps, even more importantly (and the underlying reason of sharing this story) there was renewed strength and prayer and focus on the Kingdom work of praying for the lost and getting His message out daily.

As the months stretched closer to a year and mom’s forgetfulness, daytime needs, and loneliness became more of a factor – it was apparent that she needed help sooner than later so I began looking into in-home care. After research and an interview with a trusted caregiver recommended by a friend – I was preparing to call and confirm the details of days and times when my phone rang. I recognized the number, it was the number I called so many times to ask if there was a room open yet. I answered to hear the words: “MaryEllen, your mom’s room is ready!” –

Elation, shock, and nervousness tumbled together allowing the enemy to create some pretty rocky emotions, questions and doubts. Again, I found myself looking like the man from today’s parable. Was there really enough money and what could I do to make sure there was and … “STOP, peace be still!” God was quick to send me the message – “Child, you prayed faithfully for me to open this door if it was my will and when your mom’s room was available. Are you really going to shut the door in my face or question my will and preparation for your mother? Be still and know that I am Your God!”

From that point on the door was flung open and I was walking through it – timid yet bold – calm yet nervous, concerned BUT turning every ounce of worry back to Him with the new daily prayer that He would prepare mother’s heart and mind for the move from her home of more than thirty years, the last place she was with my father and brothers. This wasn’t going to be easy and there are no guarantees of her money lasting as long as her days – but this one thing I knew – God was in complete control and He opened the door – my job was simply to walk through it in faith and keep my eyes on Him.

When my eyes were on my mom’s situation – her health, her inability to walk, her forgetfulness, her loneliness, her obstinance, her money, … worry was high and tensions were great between us. Yet, when my eyes were on God and His power, His timing, His will, and goodness through all of my life … when grace and peace became my prayer tensions were lessened, faith was strengthened, and Kingdom work was pursued – ALL GLORY AND PRAISE TO GOD!

LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)

Be wise and plan well – but plan with God. Lay down the worry and let God direct your steps, your thoughts, and prayers. Remind yourself daily that God is in complete and perfect control. The Word of God is your armor and prayer is a powerful weapon – use them. Above all these things – “Pursue the Kingdom,”1 remembering that “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“

If we are taking care of God’s business as a priority—seeking His salvation, living in obedience to Him, and sharing the good news of the kingdom with others—then He will take care of our business as He promised—and if that’s the arrangement, where is worrying?

gotquestions.org / seek first the kingdom
PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY

God, You are holy and good and I adore You. Your ways are good and right and Your presence is encouraging. You turn worry into worship and fear into peace and concerns into prayer – and You continually amaze me! Keep us always in pursuit of Your glorious Kingdom and will. Guard us from worry and from the enemy who seeks to steal and kill and destroy. Help us to stand strong in You through prayer and time in Your Word – a light for our path and a lamp to guide our feet and the priorities of this life. We are utterly dependent on You because we know that You are in control of today and all of our tomorrows. Father, we seek Your love, and will, and presence that enable us to walk obediently… We seek Your priorities Father… the boldness to share the good news of the Gospel… and the salvation of others are the treasures we seek – guard our earthly concerns from turning to worries, help our hearts to lay down the concerns and faithfully follow after You and all the treasures of Heaven.2 – In Jesus’ Name – Amen

THE MORE WE KNOW
Journey inspired worship
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

The Answer for True Peace

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, The Armor Of God, w3d2

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7 (8)

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

God’s message through Paul is: “do not be anxious” about anything. While that may sound like a daunting and impossible instruction to follow we must remember Jesus’ words to His disciples in Matthew 19:26, concerning another impossibility. Matthew wrote, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘with man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.'” So, yes, ‘anything’ is a really big word but God is a really big God who empowers us to do whatever He has called us to do.

So, how do we do it? Money’s tight and the bills are due – how do you not worry? You or someone you know is facing serious health issues – how are you not going to be anxious? Your children are struggling with school or life – how do you keep the concerns from overpowering you. The list is endless but the bottom line is this – regardless of what scenario we come up with – God is bigger than the problem and He has given us the answer for true and lasting in peace in every situation.

Paul tells the Philippians they are to pray in every situation, bringing their petitions (requests) to God and offering prayers of thanksgiving for what God has already done. gotquestions.org

Prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving

There is a difference between praying and petitioning God and this is important to the mix. To pray is to talk to God. The conversation can and should include more than asking something from God. It is, as Gotquestions.org explains, “the primary way for the believer in Jesus Christ to communicate her emotions and desires with God and to fellowship with Him.” However, to petition God means to make a request from Him, it is a great an awesome gift that we are able to ask anything from God when He has already given us His ALL; but to only always petition God would be to forfeit the best of what God intended our relationship with Him to be.

God saved us from the sins that held us captive but He saved us to a rich and satisfying life(Jn10:10), a life where we would come to Him and find rest for our souls or comfort for our sorrows, refuge in the storms of life and wisdom in the battles and decisions of this life. It is a life that promises a peace that passes all understanding as we live in Christ Jesus. He saved us not just so we would know His love but so that we might love Him and others in return. In regards to love, Jesus told His disciples that when we remain in His love we would not just know joy but we would overflow with joy (John 15:11). When our time and energy are spent on/with God like this – our hearts and minds will be filled with and guarded by His peace.

  • His peace is more than we can understand
  • His peace is able to guard our hearts and minds from the anxious thoughts – because we are in Christ
Don’t Worry – Be At Peace

So how do we live this out? Well, it may look different for you than it does for me or the next person but the answer or prescribed method of knowing God’s peace always involves prayer, petition, and thanksgiving. This is not a cavalier method of telling yourself not to worry – or just kick back and relax. This is a- 1arealize you are anxious or worried about something and 1brespond by talking to God about what ever it is. 2Thanking Him is next and is a way of letting Him know you trust Him more than you fear the problem or are having anxiety over a situation. Then 3ask Him to help you not worry over “it” and to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, just as He promised. It’s about choosing to give and leave the situation in God’s hands knowing He is fully capable of handling the fear or anxiety you are battling. Finally, remember God is true to His word, so you can – and should expect and claim His peace, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s Prayer Response

Father, thank You that Your peace is more than we can understand. Thank You that Your peace is able to guard our hears and minds from the anxious thoughts and the evil one who seeks to steel and kill and destroy. Help us to be alert to the evil one and to turn away from him and to You – for only in You will we know Your peace – Amen and Amen!

Reflection for the Journey

How can we know the peace that passes all understanding?

Going Further

There are several reasons why it is imperative to guard our hearts. First, our hearts have a significant impact on our relationship with God, and the condition of our heart can either draw us closer or push away us away from Him. When we meditate on the Word of God (Psalm 1:2) and allow it to sink into our hearts, we are radically transformed and will experience a greater sense of peace, joy, and contentment (John 10:10; Philippians 4:6–7; Galatians 5:22–23).
On the other hand, allowing sinful influences to take root in our hearts will hinder our relationship with God. We will struggle to pray, read the Bible, and may even feel distant from God. Thus, we must guard our hearts and cultivate a deeper relationship with God.
The second reason why it is imperative to guard our hearts is that the heart impacts our relationship with others. It can draw us closer to others or estrange us from them. For example, if we cultivate an attitude of love, kindness, and compassion toward others (Ephesians 4:32), we will build strong and meaningful connections with them. A heart of patience, understanding, and forgiveness creates a culture of trust and mutual respect (1 Corinthians 12:25–27).Read the full post about Guarding your heart at https://www.gotquestions.org/guard-your-heart.html

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, He Sees He Knows He Cares, He Sees He Knows He Cares, He Sees He Knows He Cares, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Do Not Worry

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Today’s Scripture Reading: Luke 11:14-13:9; SOAP / Luke 12:29-32

 29 So do not be overly concerned about what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things. 30 For all the nations of the world pursue these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, pursue his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:29-32 NET

In today’s fuller passage of chapter 12, Jesus warns against greed, stressing that man’s life “does not consist in the abundance of his possessions, (15). Jesus then tells the parable of a rich fool. A story which He uses to teach that “life is more than material goods.” He emphasized that the greater importance is our relationship with God, (16-21). Then in our focus passage and surrounding verses (21-34), He warns against worry. He uses the specific example of worrying about what we will eat or wear, and has some great illustrations about how God provides for the birds and even clothes the flowers of the fields – so we can surely trust Him to care all the more for us, His children.

Then Jesus zeros in on the crux of the matter which is this: Our earthly treasures or possessions, those things that don’t last, don’t really matter to God. What matters to God and what He wants to matter most to us – is what we have invested and stored up for Him. Jesus said it this way, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but instead store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor destroy and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also .…” Of course we will be concerned about the things in our lives, like a car that needs to be repaired so we can get to work, or the rising cost of groceries but no increase in pay, or health issues and the myriad of other daily concerns – the issue isn’t that we shouldn’t be concerned but that we shouldn’t be consumed by the concerns. Rather, we should trust that God is taking care of our needs so that we can be about the work of His Kingdom.

Our earthly treasures or possessions, those things that don’t last, don’t really matter to God. What matters is what we have invested and stored up for Him.

Me from the Insideout

So how do we do this? How do we forego greed and letting our possessions and desires control us? How do we not worry about the daily cares of this world? According to the Scriptures, we pursue, or seek first, His Kingdom. This means Jesus and His mission become the driving force in our lives – and we lay everything else at His feet – whether work, play, plans, needs, or relationships. We must die to self and submit every area to His authority. We cannot hold even one part of our life back from His control if we intend to make Him King of our lives. As for combatting the worry, to paraphrase one of my favorite and life changing teachings of Paul: Rejoice in the Lord, pray about everything, tell God what you need, thank Him for what He’s already done (this part is vital), and finally think about the things of God.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! 5 Let everyone see your gentleness. The Lord is near! 6 Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.


Philippians 4:4-8 NET
Response to God’s Word

Our Father, who art in Heaven – Holy is Your Name. Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us our daily needs and guard us from the temptations of this world – May we not become so enamored or caught up with the earthly desires and joys that we miss out on the heavenly treasures that are ours in Christ Jesus. Help us to submit to His authority, to make Him King of our lives, so that we might continue His work on earth with the hope of bringing You glory – both now and forever more == Amen, in Jesus’ name