cares

August 10, 2020

“You Were Running the Race So Well”

7 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom.– Galatians 5:7-8 NLT

The new converts had started off “on fire” but now they were being hampered by those around them. Let each of us think back to the time that we accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Now, let each of us compare our enthusiasm and boldness for telling others about Jesus then and our enthusiasm and boldness for doing that now. Who or what “cut in on us” or kept us from spreading the Good News about salvation. Was it the mocking of “friends” or the cares of this world that hampered us? Are we more concerned about other people’s opinions of us than we are about what Jesus thinks about us? Does it even matter if we tell others about Jesus and His mercy? Do we think that Jesus isn’t watching? Or do we do the things we do and act the way we act because we know that Jesus will forgive us but our family, friends and neighbors might not? That kind of thinking does not come from the Holy Spirit.

1​ ​Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us​.​–Hebrews 12:1​ (​NIV)

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” -Anonymous

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August 20, 2019

“Does God Know That I Exist?”

29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin?  But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. — Matt.10:29 NLT

Matt. 10:28-31 NLT

Luke 12:6-7 NLT

In social jargon, the “fifth wheel” is the person without a date or a mate. If that person happens to be you, you just might experience some uncomfortable moments. You might even feel like a “misfit” and wish you were home by yourself. These times could cause a person to feel worthless. If you read today’s scripture passages again, you might notice there is a little problem with the math. In Matthew, 1 coin buys 2 sparrows, but in Luke, 2 coins buys 5 sparrows. Shouldn’t 2 coins buy 4 sparrows? Yet, there it is, written in God’s Word, 5 sparrows. It is as if the 5th sparrow is worthless. As if because it cost nothing, it therefore has no value. But then, notice what the rest of verse 6 says: “Yet God does not forget a single one of them.” Always remember, everyone of us is important to God. Perhaps, we can’t preach like Billy Graham, sing like George Beverly Shea and maybe we haven’t been used of God to do miracles, but of this one thing, we can be sure. We are just as important to God’s eternal plan as any of those people. Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David, and Elijah all had their moments. But Jesus said: “None is greater than John the Baptist”.

**The idea for today’s devotional was from a sermon entitled “Does God Know That I Exist?” by Rev. Eddie Herring

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” – Anonymous

Post 08-20-2019

October 21, 2018

Believe and Speak In Faith

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28 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.”  29 “Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone. — Mark 7:28-30 NLT

Hearing the words that Jesus had just spoken to her, it would have been understandable if this woman would have just crawled out of the room and left without receiving anything from Jesus.  But instead she suffered the humiliation and showed great humility by humbling herself before Jesus.  She told Jesus, I am not asking for the best, your leftovers will be more than sufficient to fulfill my needs.  Because of her humble response, Jesus answered her request and healed her daughter.  Is there a request in our lives that Jesus hasn’t fulfilled?   Is it possible that our “unanswered” prayers only appear to be unanswered because we refuse to humble ourselves before the Lord?   Is it possible that God can’t say “yes” because we refuse to say “yes” to His request?  Is it possible that we will only accept our preconceived notion as the answer and we miss what God is trying to do in our lives?  In this instance, Jesus first said “no” (which is an answer) but then because of her humbleness and persistence, He said “yes”.  God always answers every prayer, just because we don’t like the answer doesn’t mean He didn’t hear and answer us.  We need to be like the Phoenician woman, we need to be persistent but humble.  If we give God a good answer, He will give us a good answer.
 
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. — 1 Peter 5:6, 7 NLT

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” – Anonymous

Post 10-21-2018

August 16, 2016

From Cares to Caressess

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22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. — Luke 12:22 NLT
 
Luke 12:22-32 NLT
Jesus is not suggesting that we not worry, He is telling us not to do it.  If we continually worry about something, we are being disobedient.  Not only is continually worrying a sin, satan uses it to destroy us mentally and if we persist in worrying, it will destroy us physically.  We might look at this warning from Jesus in a different light, if we look up the definition of worry and find the following definition and example:
worry (of a dog or other carnivorous animal) tear at, gnaw on, or drag around with the teeth.

“I found my dog contentedly worrying a bone”

Imagine that satan is the dog and you are the bone.  You see why God doesn’t want us to worry?  He knows it’s that sly old dog, satan, lying to us and dragging us down.  Isn’t that an exact picture of how we feel after days and days of worrying over something?  We feel worn out, torn up and like we have been dragged around by the hair of the head.  And guess what, Jesus was right, all of our worrying has not changed a single thing.  Whatever was going to happen, happened anyway and whatever was not going to happen, didn’t happen.  We can cast all of our cares on Jesus. Some of those cares He will crush with His feet because they come from His enemy, satan.  Some of those cares He will hold in the palm of His hand and caress you until you feel His joy.  Why?  That is just what Love does. 
Post 08-16-2016
May 28, 2015

Cast All Your Cares Upon the Lord

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32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.—1 Cor. 7:32-35 NIV

​Paul continues to tell the Corinthians and us that the fewer concerns we have in this world, the more time we can devote to God.​ Again, Paul is not saying that we should never get married.  He is reminding us that for a marriage to work, it takes a huge investment of time and caring.  He even goes so far as to tell us how to do that in Ephesians 5. The spouses must be as devoted to each other as Jesus is to the church.  But the deeper question I see here is this:  If you weren’t married, would we spend any more time with the Lord?  The same is true of riches and possessions, those can take us away from God.  It appears the point Paul is making is that if you are not entangled in the cares of the world, you are freer to go if God says “go”.  If our hearts are set on loving God, we will make time to do that regardless of our situation. God wants us to love and serve Him in every situation and He makes a way for each of us to do that.  He wants us to depend on Him to take care of our concerns.

22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.–Psalm 55:22 NIV

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.–1 Peter 5:6,7 NIV
Post 05-28-2015