July 15, 2011
Recently heard of a daily devotional book and found it on sale at Mardel this week. Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. I flipped through it and landed on today’s reading… and it moved me. It spoke to me right where I am.
“Do not worry about tomorrow! This is not a suggestion, but a command. I divided time into days and nights, so that you would have manageable portions of life to handle. My grace is sufficient for you, but its sufficiency is for only on day at a time. When you worry about the future, you heap day upon day of troubles onto your flimsy frame. You stagger under this heavy load, which I never intended you to carry.
Throw off this oppressive burden with one quick thrust of trust. Anxious thoughts meander about and crisscross in your brain, but trusting Me brings you directly into My Presence. As you thus affirm your faith, shackles of worry fall off instantly. Enjoy My Presence continually by trusting at all times.”
Matthew 6:34; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Psalms 62:8
So for now, I’m going to rest in this. The command of NOT WORRYING. I sometimes consider worrying as an act of unbelief. That we are questioning God’s ability to save us, rescue us, heal us, protect us… that when times are difficult, maybe we need to take things into our own hands because God might not be capable of…. you fill in the blank.
And I know that for me, when I “take matters into my own hands” I am stressed, irritable, hurting, lonely, depressed, stripped of power and joy.
There is no peace.
There is no sanctuary.
My hands are empty for all the work and toil, strain and stress.
Again I’m reminded of how much better God’s ways are than my ways. I labor in vain but for Him. Why do I so often forget this?
I’m off to consider lilies and fields and birds of the air….