A few weeks ago, I begin a study of the Gospels again. I started with the book of Matthew and today I completed it. Before I moved on to Mark, I was led to go back and read Matthew 6:19-34, but God said to read it in the Message version. Here is what it said:
"Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or-worse!-stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moths and rust and burglars. It's obvious isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.
"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder, and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!
"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll you end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt of the other. You can't worship God and Money both.
"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put into your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
"Has anyone by fussing in front of a mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion-do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers-most of which are never even seen-don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Wow! The answer for America and any other country today!
God has always had the plan for our life. He wants us to know and trust Him, not the economy, not a job, not a banker, not an individual, not the Government...Him! He never intended for people to be poor, to stress, to fear, to worry. God really does KNOW about us and the things that we need. He knows about feeding our family, about he mortgage, about a son or daughter in college, about those bills, He really knows! He wants us to turn to Him, put our faith in Him...not in a politician!
Believers, certainly are not to worry, We have a Father who loves us and takes care of us. I looked up the word Father. Here's what I found:
Father (noun)
1.Source.
2.One who exercises paternal care over other persons
3.Paternal Protector
4.Paternal Provider
Father (verb)
1.To assume as one's own
2.To take responsibility of
Wow, sounds like God, to me! No need to fear, no need to worry, no need to stress!
I was just sharing what I was thinking of today, because I am seeing more and more how people are worried. Just want to encourage you. I just want to see people live good lives. Enjoying life, sleeping at night. Not worried about stuff, especially to the extent that stress is causing diseases in one's body. We have help!
Turn everything over to God. Can you fix things? If you could, you would have. Can the government do it? If it could, it would have. Nobody can...but God can!
~Gayle
God has always had the plan for our life. He wants us to know and trust Him, not the economy, not a job, not a banker, not an individual, not the Government...Him! He never intended for people to be poor, to stress, to fear, to worry. God really does KNOW about us and the things that we need. He knows about feeding our family, about he mortgage, about a son or daughter in college, about those bills, He really knows! He wants us to turn to Him, put our faith in Him...not in a politician!
Believers, certainly are not to worry, We have a Father who loves us and takes care of us. I looked up the word Father. Here's what I found:
Father (noun)
1.Source.
2.One who exercises paternal care over other persons
3.Paternal Protector
4.Paternal Provider
Father (verb)
1.To assume as one's own
2.To take responsibility of
Wow, sounds like God, to me! No need to fear, no need to worry, no need to stress!
I was just sharing what I was thinking of today, because I am seeing more and more how people are worried. Just want to encourage you. I just want to see people live good lives. Enjoying life, sleeping at night. Not worried about stuff, especially to the extent that stress is causing diseases in one's body. We have help!
Turn everything over to God. Can you fix things? If you could, you would have. Can the government do it? If it could, it would have. Nobody can...but God can!
~Gayle