God has a plan...: April 2010

Show me, generous God, where I can use what You’ve given me to benefit someone else.

Casting your cares

"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

How many times do I worry for days or try to solve a problem on my own? When I finally release it to Him, I think, Why didn't I turn it over to Him a long time ago?

God's Word tells us to "cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall" (Psalm 55:22). It also reads, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6).

We aren't supposed to fix ourselves. We aren't supposed to worry and fret. We are supposed to "cast" and "present." Cast our cares and burdens to God, and present our requests to Him. When we do what His Word tells us to do, we can then experience peace and comfort (Philippians 4:7).

Joy

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Thoughts on today's verse
Where does your heart live? That's what these verses are all about. Is there a constant awareness in your life that God is present? Is he the unseen but always present companion in all your ups and downs? Or is God here when it is convenient and gone when things are busy? Joy comes from knowing we are never alone. Prayer is the ongoing conversation we have, Spirit to Spirit, with God. Thanksgiving is the great reminder that we have been blessed no matter what the circumstances may suggest.

Had to share this...

Matthew 9:36And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd.
I struggle as much as anyone with turning a conversation to spiritual things. However, I can't escape a few truths that lead me to step out by faith:
First, I am compelled by the realization that without Christ all men are lost and without hope. Sure, there are good people that do good things, but that doesn't change the fact that we all sin naturally. I've never taught a single one of my children how to steal a cookie, yet they all have done it. It's part of their natures. And it's because of sin all men are lost.
Second, I'm compelled to share Christ with others because of the reality of hell. Thinking about hell is not in vogue today. But Christ spoke of hell as a real place of eternal judgment and torment & there is only one way to avoid it.
Third, I want to share the good news because it is the very reason for which Christ came to the planet Earth. Jesus Christ didn't go to the cross just so we could have happy homes. He came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). He is our only hope and the only thing that brings true joy.

God has a plan...

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

It's been a while...