2021-03-16
Psalm 118:6 NKJV
Finances. Worrying about money is something that most of us will do at some point in our lives. We might be afraid that we don’t have enough of it, that we won’t have enough to pay the bills or meet our basic needs, or we might live in fear of an unexpected expense coming along that we won’t be able to handle. We may also live with the fear that what we do have could be taken away from us, our credit cards could be stolen, or our source of income could disappear.
The first thing we need to remember when dealing with money is that it’s not ours, but God’s. 1 Chronicles 29 says: ‘Riches and honour come from you. You rule everything…Everything comes from you’ (NCV). We might think that He’s only interested in spiritual things, but if money ultimately belongs to Him, we can be certain that He’ll want to help us work through any financial worries we have. That doesn’t necessarily mean He’ll suddenly give us plenty of money, but He will give us wisdom in how to best use what we have.
We also need to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:26-34. In these verses, Jesus assures us that just as God provides for every bird and flower, He’ll provide for us, His beloved children. Psalm 118:6 says: ‘The LORD is on my side; I will not fear’ (NKJV). Whether we’ve made bad decisions and mismanaged our finances, or whether something external has created fear where our money’s concerned, God’s still with us, He’s still for us, and He’s still fighting on our side. We just need to turn to Him, trust Him, and follow His guidance.
Job 11-14; Matt 23:13-22; Ps 11; Prov 8:4-5
2021-03-15
Psalm 118:6 NKJV
During the Great Depression unemployment hit 25 percent of the American population. Savings accounts were wiped out by bank failures, farmers lost their land to foreclosures, and people were having trouble just feeding their families.
During this dark time Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed the nation in these words: “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
What most people didn’t realize is that the president himself had experienced some dark hours during which fear paralyzed him. Roosevelt was born a child of privilege and educated in Europe, at Harvard, and at Columbia Law School. But at age thirty-nine, he was stricken with a case of polio that left him severely disabled. During his recovery he developed an extreme fear of fire. He worried he wouldn’t be able to escape because of his disability.
But in time he overcame his fear, regained the use of his hands, and even learned to walk again with the aid of braces. He reentered the political arena – fearlessly campaigning to become the governor of New York, which he did in 1929. He then went on to become one of America’s greatest presidents and guided the nation to victory in World War II. In his memoirs Roosevelt recalls how when he turned to God for help, courage, and guidance, he received them.
Are you afraid today? If you are, stand on this promise: “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Soul food: Job 8-10; Matt 23:1-12; Ps 115; Prov 8:1-3
2021-03-12
1 Peter 1:5 NKJV
If our salvation is assured when we place our trust in Christ, might not some people take advantage of this assurance? Yes, they might, for a time. But as grace goes deep, and as God’s love and kindness sink in, they change.
Grace fosters obedience. “The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say, ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12 NIV). God’s grace does more than comfort you in your troubles; it convicts you in your disobedience. Let it convict you. If you ever catch yourself thinking, “I can do whatever I want because God will forgive me,” then grace isn’t happening to you. Selfishness, perhaps. Arrogance, for sure. But grace? No.
Grace creates a resolve to do good, not permission to do bad. And one more thought. Look to Christ for your beginning and ending. He’s Alpha and Omega. He will hold you, and He will hold on to the ones you love. Do you have a prodigal son or daughter? Do you long for your spouse to come to God? Do you have a friend whose faith has grown cold? God wants them back more than you do. Keep praying, and don’t give up.
The truth is, we don’t always know if someone has trusted God’s grace. A person may have feigned belief but not meant it. It’s not ours to know. But we do know this: where there is genuine conversion, grace never stops working. So today, trust God’s saving and keeping power.
Soul food: Job 1-4; Matt 22:23-33; Ps 24; Prov 7:24-25
1 Peter 1:5 NCV
We might be tempted to think that because our salvation is assured when we put our trust in Christ, we can just carry on living with our old habits and mindset. It might work for a while, but as grace goes deeper and God’s love and kindness sink in, He changes our hearts.
Grace nurtures obedience to God. ‘The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age’ (Titus 2:11-12 NIV).
God’s grace does more than comfort us in our troubles; it convicts us when we stray from God’s path. We need to let it convict us. If we ever start thinking, ‘I can do whatever I want because God will forgive me,’ then grace isn’t happening to us. It doesn’t give us permission to do things God wouldn’t approve of, but instead creates a resolve within us to do good and follow His will.But if we do go wrong, and confess it to God with a repentant heart, His grace means that He’ll welcome us with open arms. He’ll hold us, and He’ll hold on to our loved ones.
Do you have a friend whose faith has grown cold, or a family member who’s turned their back on God? He wants them back more than you do. Keep praying for them, and don’t give up. The truth is, we don’t always know if someone has trusted God’s grace – they may have only pretended to believe. But where someone has truly put their faith in God, grace never stops working. So today, trust God’s saving and keeping power.
Job 1-4; Matt 22:23-33; Ps 24; Prov 7:24-25
2021-03-01
Isaiah 41:10 NCV
Fear can steal our creativity and self-worth. The longer it lives inside us, the stronger it grows. And it’s often fed by words; not just the words others say, but the words we say to ourselves. When we think, ‘There’s no way I’m going to make it,’ we dent our armour and undermine our effectiveness.
Fear can show itself as overprotectiveness, anger, pettiness, jealousy, or boasting. It can weigh us down with the feeling that we have to protect and defend ourselves and make sure we’re not forgotten or overlooked.
So when we’re feeling fearful, what should we do? The best thing we can do is acknowledge that we’re fearful, and then bring that fear to God and ask Him to take it from us. This is what He promises us: ‘Don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.’ In Scripture, the term ‘God’s right hand’ refers to His willingness and power to work on our behalf.
Two chapters later in Isaiah, God told the same people, ‘Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name and you are mine’ (Isaiah 43:1 NCV). God takes care of what belongs to Him, and as His beloved children, He’ll look after each one of us.
So when we’re feeling anxious and afraid, let’s choose to say, ‘There’s no way I’m going to make it in my own strength, but I will make it with God’s strength.’
Gen 30:25-31:55; Matt 19:15-30; Ps 66:13-20; Prov 6:23-25
