::my journey with Loving God::: Thursday, December 3, 2015

Worry Free - OUR DAILY BREAD

Do not fret because of those who are evil.

Trying to stay aware of current events has its downside because bad news sells better than good news. It’s easy to become overly concerned about the criminal acts of individuals, crowds, or governments over whom we have no control.

Psalm 37 gives perspective to the daily news. David begins by saying, “Do not fret because of those who are evil” (v. 1). Then he proceeds to outline for us some alternatives to becoming overly anxious. In essence, David suggests a better way of thinking about negative news in our world.

What would happen if, instead of worrying about events beyond our control, we chose to trust in the Lord? (v. 3). Wouldn’t we be better off to “take delight in the Lord” (v. 4) rather than fret without limits? Imagine the freedom from worry we could have if we would “commit [our] way to the Lord” (v. 5). And how calm we could be by learning to “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him”! (v. 7).

News of trouble we cannot change offers us an opportunity to set boundaries for our concerns. As we trust God, commit our ways to Him, and rest in Him, our outlook brightens. The struggles and trials may not disappear, but we will discover that He gives us His peace in the midst of them.

Lord, we see danger and trouble all around us. Help us not to worry but instead to trust and rest in You. Show us the peace that comes from waiting patiently on You.

Obstacles give us the opportunity to trust God.

When Not To Rejoice - OUR DAILY BREAD

When Not to Rejoice

December 3, 2015

Read: Ezekiel 25:1-7; Matthew 5:43-48 | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 45–46; 1 John 2

Do not gloat when your enemy falls.

Proverbs 24:17

The Akan people of Ghana have a proverb: “The lizard is not as mad with the boys who threw stones at it as with the boys who stood by and rejoiced over its fate!” Rejoicing at someone’s downfall is like participating in the cause of that downfall or even wishing more evil on the person.

That was the attitude of the Ammonites who maliciously rejoiced when the temple in Jerusalem “was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile” (Ezek. 25:3). For spitefully celebrating Israel’s misfortunes, the Ammonites experienced God’s displeasure, which resulted in grim consequences (vv. 4-7).

How do we react when disaster befalls our neighbor or when our neighbor gets into trouble? If she is a nice and friendly neighbor, then, of course, we will sympathize with her and go to her aid. But what if he is an unfriendly, trouble-making neighbor? Our natural tendency may be to ignore him or even secretly rejoice at his downfall.

Proverbs warns us: “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice” (24:17). Instead, Jesus tells us that we show His love in action when we “love [our] enemies and pray for those who persecute [us]” (Matt. 5:44). By so doing, we imitate the perfect love of our Lord (5:48).

Lord, open my eyes and my heart to be honest about my attitude toward those who are unkind or unfair to me. Fill my heart with Your love, Lord, and help me pray for them.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

a worry list

Years ago, in an article in seminary magazine, Paul Borden gave some helpful suggestion for worries:

1.start a worry list- write down what you're worried about.

2. Turn your worry list into a prayer list- Ask the Lord to work in those situations you're concerned about. Pray specifically for your needs and depend on Him.

3. Turn your prayer list into an action list. If you have any insight that there's something you can do about your cares, do it. As we turn our worries into prayer and action, Borden says, " Paralysing anxienty can be replaced by concern for the responsibilities of life."

WHAT YOU HAVE MADE A MATTER OF PRAYER SHOULD CEASE TO BE A MATTER OF CARE.

THE LIVE I WANT TO BE......THIS IS MY LIFESTYLE.....

I want that Humility, I want to be humble, Lord I humble myself before you. I believe in a breakthrough this year. I don't want to waste anymore time on pride and let satan rob me from the wonderful blessings God has in store for me. I want to walk humbly. I'm created to serve you and the body of Christ, to worship you, to build relationships, putting others before me, loving one another, lift each other up. I'm hungry for more of you Jesus, draw me close to you. I understand it is a life long process. I understand humility is one of the highest graces and the hardest to attain. I understand it's not an easy walk, but I know I serve a mighty God and believe with all f my heart that You are with me and delight in such pursuit. Come Holy Spirit and teach me humility.

As I go through all kinds of feelings and experiences in my journey through life -- delight, surprise, chagrin, dismay -- I hold this question as a guiding light: "What do I really need right now to be happy?" What I come to over and over again is that only qualities as vast and deep as love, connection and kindness will really make me happy in any sort of enduring way. No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change. To change one's life: 1. Start immediately. 2. Do it flamboyantly. 3. No exceptions. Reverence for Life affords me my fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, assisting, and enhancing life and that to destroy, harm, or to hinder life is evil. Affirmation of the world -- that is affirmation of the will to live, which appears in phenomenal forms all around me -- is only possible for me in that I give myself out for other life. I think that taking life seriously means something such as this: that whatever man does on this planet has to be done in the lived truth of the terror of creation, of the grotesque, of the rumble of panic underneath everything. Otherwise it is false. Whatever is achieved must be achieved with the full exercise of passion, of vision, of pain, of fear, and of sorrow. How do we know ... that our part of the meaning of the universe might not be a rhythm in sorrow? Even after all this time, The sun never says to the earth, "You owe me." Look what happens with A love like that. It lights the whole sky. There is nothing we like to see so much as the gleam of pleasure in a person's eye when he feels that we have sympathized with him, understood him. At these moments something fine and spiritual passes between two friends. These are the moments worth living.