Little Reminders

This past Sunday the message at church was on Matthew 6:24-35.  Before I go on with this post, I need you to know something about me. I am a worrier. No, actually I am more than that. I am a worrier that worries so much anxiety takes over. I am also a person who worries about things that may or may not happen, I can create a million and one outcomes for something that isn't even a thought in another person's mind or close to reality. It boils down to this - I worry incessantly over things that really don't deserve the time of day. Then, in the same breath, I also don't worry about things many people think deserve at least some level of concern. Yes, I am a complicated person.  Now, back to Sunday.

As I shared in my Sunday morning post, the one I wrote and posted BEFORE church, we are in the middle of a new storm. It had pretty much knocked me down and all those worries started taking over.  I prayed/am praying, my husband prayed/is praying, I asked for unspoken prayers, my dear friend and her husband prayed/are praying, their Small group prayed (which I didn't know about until last night); people this thing has been bathed in prayer!

Then I started getting reminders, like the message at church. Below are a few of the notes I took Sunday morning:
  • Worry (greek) = drawn in opposite directions, divided into parts, distracted, anxious (check, check, check - I have that in spades!!!)
  • v. 25 - "therefore, do not worry" (my old pastor used to tell us that therefore meant that it was there for a reason) in this case the passage referenced vs. 19-21 (where your treasure is, there your heart will also be)
  • Worry is all about priorities. The what you say?!  I know! I had just talked about this to a degree in the post I made right. before. church. When our priorities are all out of line, then worry is the result. BOOM! (priority check needed)
  • You can't will away worry. (That is a no-brainer - but man do I try)
  • Do not worry is a promise, NOT a command.  Meaning, He's totally got this.
  • Do not worry DOES NOT mean Do not work! - the birds of the air, though they do not worry about the food they eat, still go in search for it, though they do not worry about where they will live, they still build their nests
  • Caution - work will not get rid of the things you worry about
  • Psalm 23 - God promises to sit with me in the midst of my storms (v. 5 = you prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemy) -> keep eyes on my Father sitting in front of me, not at the battle raging around me
  • At its core, worry is forgetting who God is. WOW! *Perspective much?!*
  • Matt. 6:33 - seek first His kingdom
  • Choose the things that honor God first and when God is first, the worries will be handled
Now, those are some amazing points from Sunday's message. In fact, I've read them over a couple times already. You can listen to it here.

But, it didn't stop there. The reminders, they just kept coming. I subscribe to our local Christian radio station's texting of the Verse of the Day. On weekends these come at 1 PM, on weekdays at 8 AM.  These are the three most recent, in order:
  • Sunday - Psalm 94:19 = "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul." (mind you this was AFTER the church service)
  • Monday - Romans 14:19 = "Let us, therefore, make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
  • Tuesday (today) - Proverbs 3:9 = "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops." (last bullet point choose the things that honor God first)
You guys, I can't even with these verses.  He brings joy out of my anxiety, I need to be a peacemaker, and finally, the one and only thing in the whole of His word He ever asks us to test Him on is concerning our tithe. I need to honor Him with that.

Now, I won't go into depth on what this storm entails, it isn't even necessary because frankly, it is what it is and God is SOOOO much bigger than it. But these three verses build the picture for the context of the storm.

But, in case I thought these things here were a fluke (not likely, because I literally started shaking and crying when today's verse of the day came across my phone) I received my daily email devotional. I have subscribed to the Girlfriends In God devotionals for years. Today's, well, wouldn't you know, it was on Worry. (Read it here.) YES!  The verses we were to read and study?  Yep, you got it, Matt 6:25-34.

I don't know about you, but I love the way God talks to us. How He never stops pursuing us and when we take the time to listen, or in my case read, He reminds us of His perfect love for us. I need to be honest, I can't quite remember a time where He was so "in my face" persistent with letting me know He is here and He cares. Oh, how I love Him and am so grateful for a God that seeks me.

How about you?  How has our Heavenly Father revealed himself to you lately?

I challenge you to read the verses I have posted above and think on a time where you worried and it turned out to be nothing. Or if you are in the midst of a storm like we are, I challenge you to give it over to God, to let Him be your joy and peace.

Love, M






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