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| Nancy Standlee |
MATTHEW 6
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry
If Jesus says it, then of course, this is a doable enterprise.
So what are you worrying about?
I am concerned about a blip in our family’s publishing business after a great December.
I don’t have a particularly good feeling about an upcoming meeting.
Think of two of your worries.
Think of the worst outcome in all these situations.
You will be in the loving hand of God even if the worst possible thing happens in all these situations.
There is no guarantee that they will work out as you might wish, but God’s love and power and grace will be with you however these work out.
Do not worry. You are God’s child. He will hold you through the best and worst outcomes, and make the latter work out for good.
In particular, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
The creatures are alive and happy, depending on their Father’s abundance. And you are more valuable than they are. And anyway.
27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
ALL worrying is futile anyway, so make the mental effort not to do it.
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
Have more faith in God. He will look after your needs as he looks after those of the beautiful flowers of the field.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
Jesus coined the Greek word for you of little faith–oligopistoi. It has a slightly comical sound.
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
Your father knows what you will need. He will give it to you. So quit worrying.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Use this as a rule and guide. When you want money, seek first for him to be your King. Submit yourself to him. Obey him. Seek to do his will.
Seek to do his will in the situations and institutions in which you are involved.
Seek to do the right thing.
And when your focus shifts from money to obeying your Heavenly Father, and seeking to do the right thing, money will be given to you as well.
Seek first things first, and second things will look after themselves.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Do not worry about tomorrow. You will be given wisdom and strength tomorrow.
Matthew 7
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Do not sit as a judge over the actions, intentions and hearts of people, deciding if they are innocent or guilty.
I really believe this is the solution when wrong is done, and anger and a judgemental spirit overwhelm our hearts.
Beam-research. Repent.
What is there is my eyes which you wish to remove? How can I dance more closely with you, Jesus? Allow you to breathe your Holy Spirit into me more constantly?Use my time and my gifts better?
You know what–there is energy in these questions and answers, but none at all in judging and anger.
Blog on this subject–http://theoxfordchristian.blogspot.com/2010/12/judge-not.html
6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Be wise and careful and canny in how you reveal your heart, and what you reveal.
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Asking, seeking, and knocking will be rewarded. A great saying of Jesus. And how do we know if this is true? We will have to take him at his word as the Syro-Phoenician woman did, and ask, seek, knock.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
We, selfish as we are, look out for our children. Similarly, our Father WILL give good gifts to those who ask him.
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The so-called Golden Rule is an excellent guide to behaviour. However, it has limits.
What if someone is being abusive? Leading by fear and control. Nobody would wish to be confronted or “called” but sometimes this is the right thing to do for the greater good.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate.
The poet Rainer Maria Rilke has this puzzling saying, “Trust what is difficult.” If two choices face you, God is often more likely to be what is the more difficult part (I think).
For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
True life, true spiritual life, is not easy. The gate to it is is narrow, and so is the road to it.
The ESV describes the easy path as seeking the approval of man rather than God.
And many church-goers miss it. Miss the joy, and miss the peace, and miss the love. Miss living in the force-field of God’s love, power and provision. In the meteor shower of his grace and presence.
Do whatever it takes to be truly and fully alive in God’s presence.
Proverbs 2
1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
Seeking wisdom, understanding, insight desperately will teach you to KNOW God, and will teach you the fear of God which will save you from much folly.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
The Lord gives us wisdom, and he also gives us knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
He often gives the upright success, according to his plans for them.
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
He protects those whose walk is blameless.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
and fair—every good path.
If you desperately seek wisdom, you gain the understanding of what is right and just and fair.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Wisdom and knowledge will grow sweet and pleasant to you.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.
and understanding will guard you.
12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.
Wisdom and discretion will protect you from wicked, perverse, devious people. Thank you, Lord.
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Do not labour for food which perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life. John 6.27.
