Father Knows - Fearless, Day 24

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” Matthew 6:31-32

Fear of not having enough is one of the most disabling fears of all. Sadly, many people have organized their lives around getting and keeping “more,” and in the process have missed out on some of God’s greatest gifts. Jesus assures us that Father knows what we need. I think the question is, “Do we?” Do we know what we need, or are we simply focused on what we want—or worse, what the culture around us says we should want?

Father knows what we need; and, the good news is He promises to provide everything that we need! Verse 33 of Matthew 6 extends the invitation…“seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Father loves you, knows what you need, and promises to be your provider. No Fear!

For Reflection: If you inherited enough money to retire on, what would you do with your life? If God promised to provide all that you need, if you’d just follow Him, what would you do differently? Since He has promised to provide everything we need, as we follow Him, what changes does that freedom allow you to consider?

Lord, I thank You that You are my provider. I trust You to provide all that I need according to the riches of Your incomparable love. Help me to organize my life around what You provide, not what the culture says I need. Let me see the freedom that can be mine if I’ll trust You with all my needs.  

Fearless #23 - Who's Really in Charge?

Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. Revelation 1:17b 

John found himself exiled on an island by a corrupt ruler of a godless empire. As he prayed, Jesus appeared to comfort him with a message of what the final outcome would be. His greatest word of comfort was simply that He is the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega. No other leader, government, or world system will have the final word. He will…period. 

Some of us need to relax and remember who’s really in charge. If we’re not careful, too much cable news or talk radio can reduce us to discouragement or anger. At times like that, I have to stop and breathe a word of thankful prayer to the one who set the world in motion and holds the future. His message is as fresh today as when it was first spoken: “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last!” 

No fear.

For Reflection: Do my politics shape my faith or does my faith shape my politics? How does focusing on Jesus change my perception of government, political parties, and people with whom I disagree?

Lord, I am so thankful that You will have the final word. Governments rise and fall, but You are the one constant. Your kingdom will never fail! Help me to look at our world with eyes of faith, not fear and remember that you have always cared for those who trust You. We don’t need to be afraid. Let my faith in You shape my political views and responses…not the other way around.

Fearless - Day 22

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:28-31

Focus is a very powerful thing.

At the invitation of Jesus, Peter left the safety of a boat in a storm and walked on water! It wasn’t Peter’s determination that held Him above the waves; it was the power of Jesus, who called him out of the boat. It’s here that we discover the extraordinary importance of focus! In spite of the fact that he had actually walked on water, when Peter turned his attention from Jesus to the conditions around him, he became afraid and began to sink. (Hey, give him a break…he got out of a boat and walked on water!)

This is why 1 Thessalonians 5:17 instructs us to “pray continually.” When we pray, our focus is on Jesus; and we find ourselves operating in a different power. Things that might otherwise cause us to sink become the platform for our greatest victories! When Peter did falter he cried out to the Lord (prayed) and discovered that he’d been safe the entire time because he was with Jesus.

What if, for you and I, that kind of fearlessness is only a prayer away?

For Reflection: Has the Lord ever invited you to “get out of the boat?” Did you do it? Why, or why not? Pray about some of your current “rough waters” and see if they look different after time spent with Jesus.

Lord, help me to focus on You! Sometimes spiritual things seem less “real” than the material circumstances around me. As I trust You and see your faithfulness, my faith becomes sight. Teach me to pray continually, so I always remember that You are God and my circumstances are not!