How to be Worry-Free

I know it doesn’t change a situation. It can even create some pretty serious problems. I’m talking about worrying. I don’t have to take a class to be an accomplished worrier – it’s something that comes naturally. The enemy knows exactly what buttons to push to send me off into ‘what-if’ mode.

Seems I’m not the only one with the propensity to worry. The children of Israel could worry with the best of them. Remember their exit out of Egypt? The final plague had Pharaoh practically begging the Israelites to leave his land. They were free at last – 430 long years of slavery had come to an end.

I can imagine how ecstatic the people must have been. But their joy didn’t last long. In fact, it ground to a halt and quickly turned into worry when the Israelites realized Pharaoh and his army were in hot pursuit of them. They were afraid. They cried out to the Lord and turned on Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness…it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness,” (Exodus 14:11,12b; KJV).

But Moses shared a message from the Lord – a message of faith that could overcome even the greatest fear. “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace,” (Exodus 14: 13-14).

The people had a choice to make. Would they choose fear or faith? The Lord was on their side, and as Moses stretched his hand out over the Red Sea, the children of Israel witnessed a miracle. An east wind caused the waters of the sea to be parted so they could walk through on dry ground!

As Pharaoh and his army attempted to follow them into the sea, God caused their chariots to get stuck in the sand. Mass chaos followed as Moses once again stretched his hand out over the Red Sea and the water came crashing down over the Israelites’ enemies. Not a single one remained.

Giving in to fear hadn’t changed their situation. Putting their faith in an almighty God had! Over and over again, the children of Israel were reminded that worrying didn’t accomplish anything. Their God would provide for them.

The same is true in my life. Why worry when I have God’s recipe for peace, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 4:6-7). Instead of focusing on my problems, I can focus on my great God who is able to overcome any hardship I’m facing.

What about you? Are you a worrier? What step will you take today to replace your fear with faith in a great God?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for reminding me that worrying is sin. Help me remember the example of the children of Israel – and choose faith over fear. Thank You for being greater than any problem I face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.   

Amazing Love

He spoke the world into existence. Plants and animals appeared at His command. He created man in His own image. Man chose to disobey his Creator. But God made a way for fellowship to be restored. A sinless sacrifice was required. Only Jesus Christ could pay the price. He, "...made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:7-8; KJV). Amazing love!

Over and over, throughout the Bible, God demonstrates His power and love. Only an all-powerful God could deliver the Israelites from the Egyptian ruler, Pharaoh. The children of Israel had been slaves to the Egyptians for four hundred, long years. Using His servant Moses, God freed the people and brought them to the banks of the Red Sea. All seemed hopeless, until the mighty hand of God, "...caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left" (Exodus 14:21b-22). God cared for His people

.

Remember the walls of Jericho? Only a mighty God could cause the walls of a fortified city to fall down flat, using only trumpets and the shouts of people. An amazing feat? Not so much, when you consider an amazing God who is, "long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9b). Before Jericho's walls came tumbling down, one of the cities' residents and her family was rescued: Rahab, her dad, mom, and brethren. Rahab had chosen to believe in the God of the Israelites to the saving of her family. She was convinced of God's love and experienced His provision.

I'm sure the orphan, Esther, never dreamt of being in a beauty pageant, let alone being chosen as the queen of Persia. When she realized the role for which she had been chosen by God, she saw His mighty hand at work. In spite of King Ahasuerus' edict that called for the execution of all the Jews on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, Esther approached him, risking her life to beg for the life of her people. It wasn't that easy, though. You see, what was put into law by the King, could not be revoked under any circumstances. But the King of Kings triumphed. King Ahasuerus issued a decree that the Jews would be able to defend themselves on Adar 13th. God's plan prevailed and as a result, "many of  the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them" (Esther 8:17).

What are you facing today? Remember that the God of the universe is all-powerful. Whatever you think He's capable of, He's capable of more! His love for you is vast and beyond measure. "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Praise Him today, for His amazing love!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the all-powerful God who loves me. No matter the challenges I face, help me to turn to Your Word that I may re-discover Your greatness. Praise You, Lord, for who You are!    

Unjustly Accused

The accusation stung. I had witnessed the incident and knew what had happened. Someone else had seen a portion of what had transpired, too. But the person’s account was different and not even close to the truth. It’s tough being unjustly accused.

Unjust accusations are common. Moses endured his fair share. The Israelites had barely started on their journey out of Egypt, when the accusations began to fly. Pharaoh and his army were pursuing them, and they were afraid. “And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness,” (Exodus 14:11-12; KJV).

Wow! Moses was being obedient to God, but the people were turning on him. Ouch! This cycle was repeated over and over, as the Israelites journeyed to the Promised Land. No doubt Moses experienced anger and heartache as a result of the people’s accusations. Yet he was able to take comfort in his relationship with God. And perhaps it was because of the difficulties, that Moses earnestly sought the Lord. The Lord loved His servant Moses, “And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend,” (Exodus 33:11a).

Although false accusations aren’t pleasant, I can allow them to serve a purpose. They can drive me to the ‘God of all comfort,’ (2 Corinthians 1:3). The One who promises to be near me, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit,” (Psalm 34:18). And I can also identify with others who have experienced something similar. My trials often become opportunities for me to share my Savior, “Who (God) comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God,” (2 Corinthians 1:4; italics mine).

Life isn’t always fair. And when I’m faced with difficulties, I have a choice to make. Let circumstances make me bitter, or turn to the Lord and allow Him to use those circumstances to make me better.

What do you do when you’re unjustly accused? Will you allow the Lord to use the situation to draw you near to Him and to help others?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You that You are the God of all comfort. You know that I hurt when I’m unjustly accused. Help me to see difficult circumstances as opportunities to draw near to You and share Your goodness with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Purpose and a Plan

Favored by his father. Hated by his brothers. Joseph was the youngest of eleven children. His brothers were well aware that Joseph was the favorite son - after all, Dad HAD given him a multicolored coat, fit for royalty. In comparison, their coats were plain and ordinary.

Joseph didn't have to work like they did, either. While they slaved away in the fields taking care of their Dad's sheep, Joseph got to stay at home. Sure he ran an occasional errand or two, but it was easy to see, the boy was spoiled. All his talk of dreams didn't help either. His latest tale had the entire family bowing down to him. How ridiculous!

The day Joseph came to check up on them was the last straw. They spotted him in his outrageous coat from a long distance away. Far enough away to have time to hatch a plan. A plan to get rid of him. They hated him enough to kill him, but selling him was definitely a more profitable idea. With the transaction complete, the brothers ignored the cries of Joseph as the caravan of Ishmeelites moved slowly out of view. In a matter of only a few hours, Joseph's life had gone from picture perfect to positively pitiful. But in spite of this radical turn of events, God had a purpose and a plan for Joseph's life.

Once in Egypt, Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar, captain of the guard. Things began to improve. God was with Joseph and everything he did prospered. Potiphar took notice and put Joseph in charge of everything in his household. Unfortunately, someone else had noticed Joseph, too. Potiphar's wife. It wasn't long before she began tempting Joseph to sin. His refusals made her angry, and finally she lied about Joseph and had him thrown into prison. Imagine Joseph's confusion! What was going on? First he was sold as a slave by his brothers, and now he found himself in prison for a crime he hadn't committed. Even with circumstances looking bleaker by the moment, God still had a plan for Joseph's life.

Although he may not have understood why his life had taken a turn for the worse, Joseph trusted God. And God didn't disappoint, "...the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison, "(Genesis 39:21; KJV). Soon Joseph was in charge of the prisoners. When Pharaoh's butler and baker landed in prison, Joseph took care of their needs as well.

Dreams had always intrigued Joseph. The dreams of the butler and baker were no exception. Each had experienced a strange dream that neither could interpret. God enabled Joseph to interpret their dreams: the baker would be hung in three days, while the butler would be restored to his position in the same time frame. Joseph had only one request of the butler, "...think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house," (Genesis 40:14).

Such a simple request. But did the butler remember Joseph? No! It wasn't until Pharaoh had a disturbing dream, TWO YEARS LATER, that the butler finally thought about the man in prison who had interpreted his dream. Joseph was called from the prison house and finally God's purpose and plan for his life became clear. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream. Because of Joseph's wise counsel, Pharaoh elevated him to second in command in all the nation of Egypt!

God was able to use the difficulties in Joseph's life, being a slave and a prisoner, to prepare him for the incredible task of being a leader. Joseph's story gets even better. Remember his brothers? They end up traveling to Egypt in search of food. And yes, they DO end up bowing before him! Joseph forgives them for selling him into slavery, because he now understands God's bigger plan, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive," (Genesis 50:20). The family is reunited and even Joseph's Dad ends up moving to Egypt.

Just like Joseph's life, I know that God has a purpose and a plan for my life, even when I don't understand it! Circumstances may not always add up in my mind, but my job is to trust the God of the universe to work all things together for good.

Is it hard to understand why certain things are happening in your life? Trust that God is in control. He just may be using those difficulties to prepare you for the awesome plan He's got for you!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You that You have a purpose and a plan for my life, even when I don't understand it. Thank You for the story of Joseph that illustrates that everything happens for a reason. Help me to trust You when things are difficult. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Promise Keeper

Childhood memories. Along with the pleasant recollections, I do remember getting in trouble on occasion. One time I got caught doing something I wasn't supposed to. Boy was I sorry. I reassured my parents I wouldn't do it again, and promised them, "I'll be good!" I think I repeated that phrase over and over in hopes that I could lighten my punishment. I received a well-deserved spanking in spite of my promises.

My guess is that I stayed out of trouble for awhile - the stinging repercussions of my behavior serving as inspiration to do what I was told. But more than likely, given the passage of time and the right temptation, I'm sure I broke my heartfelt promise to be 'good.'

Fact is, all of us humans struggle to keep our promises. Oh, we have good intentions, but when circumstances change, we justify breaking our word. Remember Pharaoh in the book of Exodus? He and his people experienced horrific plagues that caused severe damage. Over and over he pleaded with Moses to call on God to remove each plague. He assured Moses that he'd let the Israelites go to sacrifice to their God, if the plague was eliminated.

Pharaoh was desperate, yet his response was the same every time each plague was removed, "But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them (Moses and Aaron); as the Lord had said," (Exodus 8:15; KJV; words in italics mine). He promised to let the Israelites go if the plagues disappeared, but when there was relief, he went back on his word every time. The last plague, death of every firstborn, finally convinced Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go. But not for long...

As the Israelites fled from the land of Egypt, Pharaoh and his army realized what they had done - let their entire workforce leave. You guessed it! Pharaoh goes back on his word one last time, "...Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him," (Exodus 14:5b-6).

But God wasn't caught by surprise. God instructed Moses to encourage the Israelites, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace," (Exodus 14: 13-14). The Israelites walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. When the Egyptians began to pursue them, the water the Lord had parted, crashed down on the army leaving no survivors.

The God who kept His promises way back in the days of Moses, still keeps His promises today. He promises to forgive my sins (1 John 1:9), to be with me (Hebrews 13:5), to meet all of my needs (Philippians 4:19), to finish the work He's begun in me (Philippians 1:6). "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever," (Hebrews 13:8). Know that what He promises, He'll deliver. You have His word on it!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding me of Your faithfulness. You always keep Your promises. Forgive me when I break my word. Help me to take refuge and find encouragement in the promises You lay out in Your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Amazing Love

He spoke the world into existence. Plants and animals appeared at His command. He created man in His own image. Man chose to disobey his Creator. But God made a way for fellowship to be restored. A sinless sacrifice was required. Only Jesus Christ could pay the price. He, "...made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:7-8; KJV). Amazing love!

Over and over, throughout the Bible, God demonstrates His power and love. Only an all-powerful God could deliver the Israelites from the Egyptian ruler, Pharaoh. The children of Israel had been slaves to the Egyptians for four hundred, long years. Using His servant Moses, God freed the people and brought them to the banks of the Red Sea. All seemed hopeless, until the mighty hand of God, "...caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left" (Exodus 14:21b-22). God cared for His people.

Remember the walls of Jericho? Only a mighty God could cause the walls of a fortified city to fall down flat, using only trumpets and the shouts of people. An amazing feat? Not so much, when you consider an amazing God who is, "long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9b). Before Jericho's walls came tumbling down, one of the cities' residents and her family was rescued: Rahab, her dad, mom, and brethren. Rahab had chosen to believe in the God of the Israelites to the saving of her family. She was convinced of God's love and experienced His provision.

I'm sure the orphan, Esther, never dreamt of being in a beauty pageant, let alone being chosen as the queen of Persia. When she realized the role for which she had been chosen by God, she saw His mighty hand at work. In spite of King Ahasuerus' edict that called for the execution of all the Jews on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, Esther approached him, risking her life to beg for the life of her people. It wasn't that easy, though. You see, what was put into law by the King, could not be revoked under any circumstance. But the King of Kings triumphed. King Ahasuerus issued a decree that the Jews would be able to defend themselves on Adar 13th. God's plan prevailed and as a result, "many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them" (Esther 8:17).

What are you facing today? Remember that the God of the universe is all-powerful. Whatever you think He's capable of, He's capable of more! His love for you is vast and beyond measure. "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Praise Him today, for His amazing love!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the all-powerful God who loves me. No matter the challenges I face, help me to turn to Your Word that I may re-discover Your greatness. Praise You Lord for who You are!