Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
As the Fall season is in the air and I know winter will come soon, sometimes I start to be anxious about things. Bible School and Confirmation classes have begun, and the church year is coming to a close. There are extra things going on that we need to plan for and get ready for. Plus we need to get things done at home and around the church before it gets too cold and the snow flies. Will we get it done on time. It takes us away from having a relationship with God and with others. Sometimes we put God on the back burner so to speak. Sometimes we even skip out on worshipping God. I want to share with you the
devotion that is in “Portals of Prayer” which I desperately needed to hear and be reminded of.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat,
nor about your body, what you will put on.” (Luke 12:22)
Do Not Be Anxious
What do we gain by spending our time feeling anxious? Anxiety can quickly take over our life and direct our thoughts and actions. As we read here in Luke 12, Jesus is telling His disciples not to worry about the shallow things, such as what to eat or wear. He points them to the ravens. The birds don’t worry. They don’t have storehouses. God provides for them according to His plan for them, and in the same manner, He provides for us. Therefore we pray that He gives “us this day our daily bread.”
It is easy to prioritize our physical needs above everything else. Of course, it’s important to be clothed and fed, but material things should not dominate our thoughts. We are to place our trust in God to provide what we truly need—which is a Savior from sin who fully provides for us in heaven. We praise and thank Him for all He has blessed us with, according to His will for us. Then we are able to use these blessings to bless our neighbors. As sinners, we fail at this often. But thanks be to God that He sent His only Son to pay for our sins. We listen to Jesus’ words and trust in His promises. He provides all that we need to complete the work He has set before us to do.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing for all our needs. We often worry about many things in life; please give us peace and comfort knowing we are Yours. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
So let us put our trust in Our Lord and turn our anxiety over to Him so that we can have a relationship with Him and each other. And so that we can experience the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.
God’s Blessings,
Pastor Gary