7 Reasons Not to Worry, Part 1

 7 Reasons Not to Worry, Part 1

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25–26)

We are going to spend three days on this part of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:25–34, Jesus is dealing specifically with anxiety about food and clothing. But, in fact, it relates to all anxiety.

Even in America, with its extensive welfare system, anxiety over finances and housing and food and clothing can be intense. Not to mention Christians who live in situations where much greater poverty threatens life. But Jesus says in verse 30 that our anxiety comes from little faith in our Father’s promise of future grace: “O you of little faith.” 

These verses (25–34) contain at least seven promises designed by Jesus to help us fight the good fight against unbelief and be free from anxiety. (Today we look at Promises 1 and 2 — then over the next two days at the rest.)

Promise #1: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25)

Since your body and your life are vastly more complex and difficult to provide than food and clothing are, and yet God has, in fact, created and provided you with both, then surely he will be able and willing to provide you with food and clothing.

Moreover, no matter what happens, God will raise your body someday and preserve your life and body for his eternal fellowship.

Promise #2: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26)

If God is willing and able to feed such insignificant creatures as birds who cannot do anything to bring their food into being — as you can by farming — then he will certainly provide what you need, because you are worth a lot more than birds. You, unlike the birds, have the amazing capacity to glorify God by trusting, obeying, and thanking God.

Every day in the Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2025.

SUBJECT: UNDERSTANDING THE GRACE OF GOD! 

MEMORY VERSE: "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (First Corinthians 15 vs 10.)

READ: Ephesians 2 vs 4 - 10:

2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

2:5: even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

2:6: and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

2:7: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, 

2:9: not of works, lest anyone should boast.

2:10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

INTIMATION:

The dictionary definition of grace is; beauty, kindness, good-will, mercy, reprieve, and pardon. God's grace will then be His beauty; kindness; good-will; mercy; reprieve; and pardon for sinful humanity. These attributes of God are freely, and undeservedly given to sinful humanity. Grace therefore, is the free, and unmerited power of God available to sinful humanity to meet our needs without any costs to us. it is received by believing rather than through any human efforts. The simple and uncomplicated nature of God's grace, and being a free gift, make many people to miss it. 

There is nothing more powerful than grace. In fact, everything in the Bible; salvation, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, fellowship with God and victory in our daily lives, are all based upon the grace of God. Without grace, we are nothing, we have nothing, and can do nothing. In fact, we would all be miserable and hopeless. Everything we are and do and have is by the grace of God. We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. We become Christians through God’s unmerited grace, not as a result of any effort, quality, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. The writer of Hebrews tells us that our works were prepared for us by God and finished from the foundation of the world (Hebrews 4 vs 3).

Revelation and understanding of the grace of God starts with the understanding the Word of God. The Word of God could be frustrating when we try to work the Word rather than the Word work in us. The most frustrating aspect of the Word of God is that it keeps convicting most believers. Incidentally this is what the Word should do to us. But how do we take and handle the conviction?

As the Word would convict us of our wrong doings, we turn completely to our Lord for the grace to change. The devil would take that thing (conviction) that was intended for our good and would begin to beat us over the head with it as condemnation. We would look in the Word and see our need to change, but we didn't know anything about the grace of God to bring about that change in us. We don't know how to allow the Spirit of the Lord come into our lives and cause the things to happen that needed to happen as we believed Him and exercised our faith. We thought we have to do it all by our own power.

The problem here is that most believers don't understand the difference between conviction and condemnation. When the Word convicts you in one thing or the other (which it ought to do), turn to God completely to accomplish the change you desire through His grace (unmerited favor). Do not get frustrated when the devil will come to minister condemnation (which it ought to) because it is his mission (John 10 vs 10). We cannot suffer condemnation because Jesus Christ has already justified us as believers: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8 vs 1.)

When you try to change yourself; trying to make yourself be everything the Word said you are supposed to be, you get frustrated because you cannot do it by your heart will-power, but only by the grace of God. You have to submit yourself to the Lord and wait patiently on Him to accomplish all He planned for you. Trying to do something about something you can't do anything about is frustrating. It takes the grace of God to change to what the Word wants you to be. It is not automatic but gradual; being changed from glory to glory (Second Corinthians 3 vs 18). When convicted by the Word, allow God (trust and surrender yourself to Him) to walk His perfect Will in your life.

The psalmist in Psalm 139 vs 13 - 16 clearly states in those verses that God chose us and laid out our lives' work for us before we were born, before the world was even created. That is why we must not trust our own abilities, and initiatives because cut off from vital union with Him we can do nothing (John 15 vs 5).

We should start each day by saying, "Here I am, Lord, ready for whatever You have for me to do. I empty myself, as much as I know how, to allow Your grace to flow in my life, to cause me to be able to do whatever it is that You desire for me. I cast myself totally upon You. I can be only what You allow me to be, I can have only what You Will for me to have, I can do only what You empower me to do, and each victory is to Your glory, not mine."

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for Your manifold gift of grace to me. In You I live, and move, and have my being. Give me the grace to have only what You Will for me to have, I can do only what You empower me to do, and each victory is to Your glory, not mine, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How to Fight Anxiety

 How to Fight Anxiety

[Cast] all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

Notice: it does not say, “I never struggle with fear.” Fear strikes, and the battle begins. So the Bible does not assume that true believers will have no anxieties. Instead, the Bible tells us how to fight when they strike.

For example, 1 Peter 5:7 says, “[Cast] all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” It does not say, you will never feel any anxieties. It says, when you have them, cast them on God. When the mud splatters your windshield and you temporarily lose sight of the road and start to swerve in anxiety, turn on your wipers and squirt your windshield washer.

So my response to the person who has to deal with feelings of anxiety every day is to say: that’s more or less normal. At least it is for me, ever since my teenage years. The issue is: How do we fight them?

The answer to that question is: we fight anxieties by fighting against unbelief and fighting for faith in future grace. And the way you fight this “good fight” (1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7) is by meditating on God’s assurances of future grace and by asking for the help of his Spirit.

The windshield wipers are the promises of God that clear away the mud of unbelief, and the windshield washer fluid is the help of the Holy Spirit. The battle to be freed from sin — including the sin of anxiety — is fought “by the Spirit and belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

The work of the Spirit and the word of truth. These are the great faith-builders. Without the softening work of the Holy Spirit, the wipers of the word just scrape over the blinding clumps of unbelief on the windshield.

Both are necessary: the Spirit and the word. We read the promises of God and we pray for the help of his Spirit. And as the windshield clears so that we can see the welfare that God plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11), our faith grows stronger and the swerving of anxiety straightens out.

Every day in the Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 09, 2025.

SUBJECT : DESIRE THE TEACHING AND GUIDANCE OF THE LORD!

Memory verse: "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go." (Isaiah 48 vs 17.)

READ: Psalm 25 vs 4 - 5 & 8 - 10:

25:4: Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.

25:5: Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

25:8: Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

25:9: The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.

25:10: All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth. To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

INTIMATION:

God instructs us on how to live. He sent His only Son to be a Model for this, and it was one of the main aspects of Christ’s ministry. Teaching shows God's concern for understanding. The other aspects of Christ's ministry were preaching, and healing. Preaching shows His concern for commitment. His miracles of healing authenticated His teaching and preaching, proving that He truly was from God. The Bible says of Jesus: "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people" (Matthew 9 vs 35).

Like a loving parent, God teaches and directs us. The Bible, in Psalm 48 vs 14, says:- "For this is God, Our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death." We need both God's guidance and His guide—a map that gives us landmarks and directions. And also a constant companion who has an intimate knowledge of the way, and will always make sure we interpret the map correctly. The Bible is the map and the Holy Spirit is the constant companion and guide. As a loving parent, God teaches and guides us. We should listen to Him because peace and righteousness come to us as we obey His Word. Refusing to pay attention to God's commands invite punishment and threaten that peace and righteousness.

We receive God's primary guidance system in His Word—the Bible. By reading it and constantly learning from it, we will gain the wisdom to perceive God's direction for our lives. When we are willing to seek God, learn from His Word, and obey His commands, then we will receive His specific guidance. As you make your way through life, use both the map and your Guide—the Holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, we are bombarded today with relentless appeals to go in various directions, neglecting our specific Guide and Guardian. Television advertisements alone place hundreds of options before us, in addition to appeals made by cults, false religions, political parties, and dozens of other groups. Numerous organizations, including Christian organizations, seek to motivate us to support various causes of their choice respectively. Added to that, are the decisions we must make concerning our jobs, our families, our money, our society. All these decisions pull us in several directions, and we become desperate for someone to show us the right way. If you find yourself pulled in several directions, remember that God teaches the humble and guides him to the right way.

Now, how do we receive God's guidance? The first step is to want to be guided or taught by God, and to realize that God's primary guidance system is in His Word—the Bible. Psalm 119 tells us the endless knowledge found in God's Word. Above all, those who are guided by God—who are meek and taught by the Lord—has the earth as their inheritance. The Scripture says, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5 vs 5.) Take the bold step of reading Psalm 119 everyday until it becomes a part of you, and then take responsibility to live according to its dictate. 

Prayer: Abba Father, I love You Lord. Yours I am, and Yours I want to be. Show me the path of life I will walk in, and endue me with the teachable and humble spirit that I may learn from You, earn Your approval, inherit the earth, and receive Your crown of glory—eternal life with You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Grace Must Be Free

 Grace Must Be Free

What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? (1 Corinthians 4:7) 

Picture salvation as a house that you live in.

It provides you with protection. It is stocked with food and drink that will last forever. It never decays or crumbles. Its windows open onto vistas of all-satisfying glory.

God built it at great cost to himself and to his Son, and he gave it to you free and clear.

The “purchase” agreement is called a “new covenant.” The terms read: “This house shall become and remain yours if you will receive it as a gift and take delight in the Father and the Son as they inhabit the house with you. You shall not profane the house of God by sheltering other gods nor turn your heart away after other treasures, but find your contentment in the fellowship of God in this house.”

Would it not be foolish to say yes to this agreement, and then hire a lawyer to draw up an amortization schedule with monthly payments in the hopes of somehow balancing accounts and paying for the house?

You would be treating the house no longer as a gift, but a purchase. God would no longer be the free benefactor. And you would be enslaved to a new set of demands that he never dreamed of putting on you.

If grace is to be free — which is the very meaning of grace — we cannot view it as something to be repaid.

Every day in the Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 08, 2025.

SUBJECT: NEGATIVE EMOTION HINDERS ANSWER TO PRAYER!

Memory verse: "Then they will cry to the LORD, but He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, because they have been evil in their deeds"(Micah 3 vs 4.)

READ: Isaiah 59 verses 1 - 2:

59:1: Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 

59:2: but your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

INTIMATION:

As believers, we have heard that our confession is our possession—what we say is what we get. But there are times we can't get what we say. These are times when we bear loads of grudges, resentment, envy, hatred, anger, unforgiveness, and like emotions. The loads of such negative emotions are very heavy and costly to our relationship with God, because they are regarded as sin. The dictionary definition of sin is "a moral offense or shortcoming, especially from the point of view of religion." It is a rebellion against God's laws. "Sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14 vs 34), as well as to God. 

Though we may have been dragged into such emotions by wrongdoing to us by another, but these negative emotions hurt us more than they hurt the one who has wronged us. This is because, if our faith is strong and our prayer is persistent, there is only one thing that can stand in the way of answered prayer, and it is sin which is the aftermath of negative emotion. Jesus said in Mark 11 vs 25; "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses." Only in so doing that you receive what you ask in prayers. Heaviness of heart resulting from negative emotion is a hindrance to receiving answers on the altar of prayer.

In the passage we read today, the prophet Isaiah says that the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear when we call upon Him, but our iniquities have separated us from our God, and consequently, He hides His face from us, and refuses to listen to us nor hear our prayers. What a terrible condition for a Christian; being unable to talk to God! 

When we understand what our resentment does to us, we see how much better it is for us to allow our enemies to get away with their cruelty, rather than hold a grudge and cut ourselves off from God. The Bible tells us that vengeance is God's business, not ours: "Repay no evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay,' says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry feed Him; If He is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12 vs 17 - 21.)

God takes vengeance on our enemies because He is just, and perfect in all His ways. Ours is to do good at all times, and have regard for good things in the sight of all men: The writer of Hebrews concurred with the apostle Paul when he said; “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord, looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (Hebrews 12 vs 14 - 15). 

However, an unforgiving spirit is so destructive that we are warned that when God does take vengeance on our enemies, we are not even supposed to be happy that He did so: "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him" (Proverbs 24 vs 17 - 18). 

Once you understand the destructiveness of "getting even," you will be able to ask God to keep you from resentment in all of its forms. In Matthew 5 vs 39, Jesus commanded us thus; "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." Jesus is suggesting that our response to injustice should not be demanding our right, but to give it up freely! According to Him it is more important to give justice and mercy than to receive it.

Prayer: Abba Father, uproot any root of resentment, unforgiveness, and other negative emotions in my heart that separate me from You, and hinders answer to my prayer, that I may be found a worthy son, living at peace with all people and have regard for good things in the sight of all, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How to Repay God

 How to Repay God

What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord. (Psalm 116:12–14)

The very use of the language “rendering to God for all his benefits to me” makes me nervous. Payback can so easily imply that grace is like a mortgage. It’s really generous, but you have to pay it back.

Paul said in Acts 17:25, God is not “served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” In other words, you can’t give anything to God or do anything for God that he hasn’t first given to you and done for you.

You see this again in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” So none of our work can ever be a payment to God, because the very work is another gift from God. With every deed we do for God we go deeper into debt to grace.

So in Psalm 116 what keeps the paying of vows free from the dangers of being treated like a debt payment is that the “payment” is, in reality, not an ordinary payment, but another act of receiving which magnifies the ongoing grace of God. It does not magnify our resourcefulness.

The psalmist’s answer to his own question, “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits?” is, “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” In other words, I call on the Lord to fill the cup. To pay back the Lord means to go on receiving from the Lord so that the Lord’s inexhaustible goodness will be magnified.

Lifting up the cup of salvation signifies taking the Lord’s satisfying salvation in hand and drinking it and expecting more. We know this because of the next phrase: “I will . . . call on the name of the Lord.” I will call for more help. What shall I render to God for graciously answering my call? Answer: I shall call again. I will render to God the praise and the tribute that he is never in need of me, but is always overflowing with benefits when I need him (which I always do).

Then the psalmist says, in the third place, “I will pay my vows to the Lord.” But how will they be paid? They will be paid by holding up the cup of salvation and by calling on the Lord. That is, they will be paid by faith in the promise that more grace — all-sufficient grace — is always on the way.