Matthew 16:19 – “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  NKJV

My text verse is probably not one that you have used regarding Prayer, but I believe it is soundly rooted in prayer’s purpose and power.  I do not believe that any student of the Bible can conclude that prayer is unimportant to God or in the life of a believer. 

The Bible is filled with passages that call people or encourage people to pray and the life of Jesus was marked by the time He spent in prayer.  A passage we should never forget is found in Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man that He should lie nor a son of man that He should change His mind.  Does He speak and then not act?  Does He promise and not fulfill?”  

Clearly, the message is that He Does Not Fail to do that which He has declared.  If God’s will and desire are to give us the Kingdom and to Fulfill His Promises, then some of us may need to change our attitudes about prayer.  We need, I believe, to learn to Pray the Promises and even Plead the Promises in our prayers. 

D.L. Moody is credited with the quote, “Each word or promise of God can be traced back to a form of kneeling.  If you tarry at a promise God will meet you there.”  That is powerful.  Moody related an incident that changed his attitude and approach to prayer that transpired when he was a young minister. 

Moody believed God had called him to ‘plant churches’ and one of his first acts was to begin prayer meetings.  He related that one of the first he attended was attended by an elderly Methodist minister.  When that minister prayed, Moody instantly knew there was something different about his praying and that this man was tapping into heaven when he prayed. 

Moody said, “As I prayed, God was way out there, listening in the distance and the answer was also far off in the distance.  This preacher prayed as though God were there with them in person and the answers were current realities.”  The preacher’s name was Ambrose Whaley, a retired blacksmith, and Methodist lay preacher. 

Moody asked if he could pray with Whaley.  The old minister took him to a barn, up a ladder to a haystack where two large Bibles laying, and one was open.  Moody wondered what this meant but did not ask and he prayed first and poured out his heart, needs, burdens, aspirations, and ambitions before God, then the old minister prayed, and it was totally different. 

Moody, inquired as to his secret of prayer for the old minister seemed to literally touch heaven with his prayers.  Ambrose Whaley looked him in the eyes and said, “You man, learn to plead the promises of God!”  Moody, like many of us, prayed with fervency, zeal, urgency, and ambition but one thing was missing.  The missing ingredient was Faith! 

Where does faith come from?  Hearing the Word of God.  Moody listened to this elderly preacher plead the promises like a lawyer would present a case in court.  He would remind God of Promise after Promise not so much to change God’s mind but to bring to the fore in his own heart and mind the truth and reality of the Promises of God.  It was producing and building Faith he Pled the Promises.  As he prayed, Moody could hear the Holy Spirit pouring in His assurances of the validity and reality of the Promises and Faith soared in the words of this preacher.

I challenge you to Find the Promises of God and Pray the Promises!  Find the Promises of God and Plead Them!  Find the Promises of God and Meditate upon them.  Find the Promises of God and Remind yourself of the truth and reality that “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  But whatever you do, begin to Pray the Promises with confidence that the Promises of God are meant to be realized in our lives here on earth!

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him!

Ezekiel 33:1-6 – “Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.'”  NKJV

In today’s world of heightened danger from terrorism, there is encouragement for the public, “See something say something.”  That is something that is practiced in Israel and other parts of the world and has proven to be instrumental and valuable in protecting against an attack.  Yet, I have been told many times from a spiritual standpoint, “Well, it is none of my business” or “I don’t want to meddle.”  

I ask, how valid are those arguments when it comes to danger?  Would you consider it meddling to warn a parent or a child if the child were in danger of running into a busy street?  Would you consider it none of your business or meddling to warn residents if their houses were on fire?  Would you consider it meddling to inform your neighbor if you saw someone break into their house and cart off their goods?   I suggest that we are quite selective in what we deem “meddling” or “none of our business” and tragically consider it good citizenship to sound a warning in the natural on many fronts but unacceptable in spiritual matters.

This passage suggests multiple responsibilities in times of danger.  If we see danger or the sword coming and sound the alarm of warning and it is heeded people are saved or better prepared to deal with the present danger.  However, if we sound the alarm and it is ignored then their blood is on their heads not our hands.  It is a grave matter, biblically, to see danger and not sound the alarm.  That would be knowingly and deliberately allowing harm to come to others when we could have, at least, warned them of the impending danger.  God does not take that lightly nor should we. 

Although we often declare that our system or code of laws has its roots in the Bible, we might not realize just how clear that is.  In Deuteronomy 22:8, if someone falls from your roof, and you failed to install a safety fence around the edge, you would be held liable for the death of that individual.  It may have been gross negligence on their part, but you had an obligation to warn or take steps to prevent the danger. 

In Exodus 21:29-31, if a man owns an ox that is prone to harming people, the owner is held liable if he fails to confine the ox and it harms or kills someone.  If the ox harms someone the owner is fined, but if it kills someone, the negligent owner was to be put to death.  You might say, “That is awfully severe,” and I agree it is, but it speaks to the seriousness God has regarding warning of danger whether that danger is eternal hell or physical danger.  God holds us accountable to Sound the Alarm!

I believe that one of the assignments I have from God is to be a Watchman on the Wall and to sound the alarm of impending danger that I see.  Therefore, if I remain silent when I see danger, I have violated a commandment of God and could never justify or argue that I was not guilty of “he that knows to do good and does it not to him it is sin.” 

Therefore, if I See It and do not Say Something, sounding the alarm I become accountable before God for the harm that comes.  However, if I do sound the alarm, then the responsibility shifts from me to those being warned.  In keeping with this reality, we must also understand that the messenger, as well as the message, may be rejected and we should always seek God for ways to make the message palatable, so it is understood, received, and heeded. 

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him!

Hebrews 13:5-6 – “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   6 So we may boldly say:

“The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”   NKJV

If this were the only place, we find the Promise that God will NEVER leave or forsake us it would be enough, but it is not an isolated promise.  It was repeated numerous times in Scripture.  It goes to the heart of God’s desire and purpose for our lives.  God did not inspire us to get into this race and begin this walk only to abandon us in the process.  Heaven forbid for that would be a picture of God totally foreign to the biblical view of His person, nature, and character.

In Deuteronomy 31:6, God spoke to Joshua as he was charged with leading the nation of Israel into the Promised Land, “be strong and very courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”  NEVER!  Take it to the bank, God will not abandon you. 

People may abandon you, but God will never do so.  God repeats the promise in verse 8 and we read it again in Joshua 1:5. We find the same promise that God will never abandon us in 1 Kings 8:57, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Psalm 37:28, Psalm 94:14, Isaiah 41:17, Isaiah 42:16 and here in Hebrews. We are instructed that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses let everything is established and we have more than two or three occasions in which God has promised to NEVER LEAVE nor FORSAKE us. 

I do not know what situation you are now facing or might face in the days to come.  I do not know what might be around the next corner of life.  I do not know the future, but I do know the one who controls the future, and I am 100% satisfied and confident that He is a Promise Keeper.  If He said He Will Not leave or forsake us, then He Will Not leave or forsake us.  Therefore, take heart and comfort that no matter what you face God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and He Will Not Fail. 

If the vision God has placed in your heart still seems to be light years away from fulfillment it is not a sign that He has abandoned, you.  It might be you have not launched out into the deep as you should.  It might mean that the time is not yet.  It could mean any number of things including the possibility that the devil is hindering you and you need to defeat him in prayer to allow the breakthrough to come.  It Does Not Mean that God has abandoned you. 

If God put it in your heart, He will provide that which is needed to achieve the purpose and vision He gave.  Therefore, be patient, be faithful, and be confident He is still God!  If He said it, He would bring it to pass, that you can bank on.  

Remember the account of Daniel 10 when an angel of the Lord appeared to Daniel in his time of prayer and said, “Do not fear, Daniel, for, from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia…”  

There was a spiritual demonic hindrance and if you realize that God will do whatever it takes to fulfill His promise to Never Leave nor Forsake you then as long as you hold that in your heart you can endure the trial and rise to victory.

God bless you as you go through this day!

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 – “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”  NKJV

I had a person tell me, “It just happened and there was nothing I could do about it” in reference to a failure in their life.  If that statement is true, then the passage above is a lie and the Word of God is not a lie.  We do get “caught” in faults, situations, and circumstances but they DO NOTjust happen we open the door and fail to look for and receive the “way of escape” God has provided.  It really does not matter what the temptation is, there is a way out if we will stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit and do not allow the devil to inundate us with justifications that seek to excuse our behavior. 

Will we tell God that it “just happened” and we were totally caught off guard without a way out?  I do not think that we would dare attempt that as a justification or excuse because we know better. If we fail to heed the warning signs of the Spirit and the flesh, we open ourselves to failure on any and every front in our lives. 

I had a woman tell me once about her infidelity, “He said such good things and cared about me unlike my husband, and it just happened.”  NO, IT DID NOT! You opened the door.  You entertained the flattery and began to enjoy the attention and allowed your guard to be lowered.  I have no doubt that God was continually giving you warning signs and offering you ways out, but you were enjoying the attention too much and the flesh was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. 

We do not just “Fall into Temptation” we walk into it.  If we allow the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life to override the pricks of the Holy Spirit we become subject to succumbing to temptation.  When we “fall” it was not totally unexpected, but we kept moving nearer and nearer to the edge and finally could no longer maintain our spiritual balance, and over the edge we went.  Never doubt there was a way out, a path of escape because that is God’s promise and God never lies.

I cannot emphasize the importance of the biblical directive of Paul in the next verse, “…flee idolatry” and the other biblical warnings to “resist the devil” and to “shun the very appearance of evil.”  The emphasis is “run away like your life depended on it.  IT DOES! 

We talk ourselves into failure because of circumstances, situations, disappointments, and sometimes simply through flattery.  I have had preachers tell me, “Well, there is no harm in harmless flirting.”  Seriously? Harmless flirting?  What is that? Remember it is the “little foxes that spoil the vine”.  

If you continue to sow seeds to the flesh and ego, one day you will find the harvest comes in and you will not like the result.  It is one thing to be friendly it is quite another to flirt which often subconsciously entertains something beyond the harmless.  I have witnessed situations develop as a result of “harmless flirting” and in a moment of weakness, disappointment, and even anger over a situation.  If that door had not been opened the opportunity would not have presented itself and the fall into temptation would not have been a possibility. 

God is faithful and He expects faithfulness from us.  The good news is, “if we sin, we have an advocate with the Father.”  Never, justify a failure or indirectly blame God for not warning you of the danger because He has promised to provide “a way of escape.” 

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 – “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  NKJV

Compartmentalization is defined as “an unconscious psychological mechanism used to avoid cognitive dissonance or the mental discomfort and anxiety caused by a person’s having conflicting values, cognitions, emotions, beliefs, etc. within themselves.”  

In Christianity, compartmentalization gives rise to and attempts to justify holding the view of having a “spiritual life, church life, family life, business life, etc.”  I had a very well-respected man, a pillar of the church and community, tell me that his business life, family life, and spiritual life were all separated and that allowed him to function more perfectly in this present world.  I cannot accept that as biblically valid for we are what we believe and out of our belief system our lives are reflected in our various life engagements. 

If we compartmentalize our lives so that one does not overlap the other, we could be devious in business, disloyal in our relationships, and yet maintain the appearance of godliness in the church.  That dog won’t hunt, in my opinion.  We read in Proverbs 23:7 (Amp), “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior – one who manipulates].”  Jesus informed us in Luke 12 that a person’s life DOES NOT consist of possessions.  His existence may consist of possessions but not his LIFE.  Life is the sum total of all we are in all areas of our existence. 

Compartmentalization is one of the major reasons so many are avid defenders of the idea of “separation of church and state.”  If we completely divest politics from our spiritual and moral makeup, we are able to stand behind politicians who are not godly, do not support godly principles, and demonstrate a character unbecoming of the faith.  If we completely divest politics from our spiritual and moral makeup, we are able to support legislation that gives us a benefit on one hand while running afoul of the basic principles of God’s word and morality. 

I do not want to make this devotional about politics, but every area of life is part of our Life and important.  What I believe politically, economically, socially, and relationally is directly connected and stems from what I believe spiritually.  If I value the Word of God and consider the Bible my guide for faith and practice, then I cannot and will not separate it from every compartment or area of my life.  WHAT I BELIEVE IS WHO I AM!

It would cause less angst in our hearts if we could compartmentalize our lives and feel no guilt or remorse for deviousness, often called shrewdness, in business.  However, our conscience will not allow us to have that disconnect Unless we allow our conscience to become “seared”.  

Compartmentalization allows Christians to become anesthetized to the wickedness and evil in society on various fronts.  I am amazed at how little sin troubles many who profess Christ today.  We are able to be inundated with profanity, lewdness, and vileness and do not feel completely soiled needing a bath. 

Tragically too frequently, our spirits are not grieved when we are bombarded with godlessness, and we are able to allow it entrance through our eye or ear gates not realizing that it taints our spirits much more dramatically than we imagine.  I have had some tell me that I am being “holier than thou” or too “Puritan and Prudish” in my views because that is just the way the world is, and we have to be in it.  Yes, but we are not to be OF IT!

You are not a cat and do not have nine lives distinct and separate from the other compartments of your being.  You are the sum total of the various aspects of your life and a reflection of what you believe. 

If we truly believe the Bible is the Word of God then I suggest that we need to come before our Lord and ask Him, as David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”  [Psalm 51:10-11].

InProverbs 4:23 we find, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”  The word issues refer to the “outgoings and boundaries”.  Our hearts (what we believe) shapes our lives, who we are, and all we do.  How can we believe in an Omniscient God who wants us to seek first and foremost His kingdom and righteousness if we compartmentalize our lives including Him in some and excluding Him in other portions? 

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him!

Jeremiah 29:4-14 – “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters — that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace, you will have peace. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD.

10 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”  NKJV

Jeremiah was not always well-received because he refused to say what people wanted to hear.  He said what he heard from the Spirit of God.  Some called him a traitor when he told Israel not to resist and the letter, he wrote to the captives was not well received by everyone but provided insight and hope for the nation. 

Israel was in a dilemma.  They could resist and ultimately be wiped out or become so diminished in numbers that when the day of deliverance came, they would be too few to carry out the purposes of God. 

Therefore, the prophet instructed them, with a word from God, to live as near normal as possible in the midst of their captivity.  He gave as a chief reason, “…that you may be increased there, and not diminished.”  He warned them not to buy the deception that other prophets were offering and informed them that their captivity would be 70 years in duration but afterward, in their strength and numbers God would bring them out. 

God’s purpose was not to destroy them but ultimately to lead them to victory.  They were going through difficulties because of their failure to follow His directive but ultimately God’s heart was their victory.  He says in verse 11, “For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” 

They, as we, had the choice to endure hardship for a season.  We are encouraged and instructed to keep our eyes on the ultimate prize.  We are enjoined to conduct our lives in such a manner as to ensure that we are not weakened beyond repair in times of trouble and trial. 

There may come a time, in America, when we are faced with the decision to resist or submit, for a time.  It will be a most difficult choice for we will see terrible calamity and many who become docile exterminated. 

I do not know what the future holds and if God will instruct us to submit to captivity or resist, as did our forefathers in the American Revolution.  There is a time to rise up and a time to remain silent.  A time to resist and a time to submit.  There is a time to live and a time to die. 

I realize from scripture and history that immediately taking up arms is not always the right answer.  Therefore, it is imperative, in these coming days, for each of us to pray and seek the face of God.  It is time that we incorporate the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14 in our daily lives, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  

My prayer is LORD give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and courage to do that which You direct.  

God bless you as you go through this beautiful day in Him!

Philippians 4:6-7

Now let us get to the important part of our consideration and see if we can discover how we can get rid of worry and live the Fret-Free Life.  Interested?  I hope so.

HOW DO WE GET RID OF WORRY?

There are some things that will not get rid of worry.  We will never be free from worry by getting into an ideal situation.  The truth is we would worry anyway if everything were perfect. Some of the people who worry the most are the people who have the least to worry about.  We will not stop worrying by simply laughing it off.  (Nor will getting drunk or high solve the problem, those will only exacerbate the problem.)

How Do We Cure Worry?  I believe the first step is to realize that a cure is possible.  It is a remedy that is taught in the Bible.  It is taught through the experiences of a myriad of saints in scripture and history. 

I can hear someone protest and say, “But Roy, you don’t know my situation or circumstances.”  You are absolutely correct, I do not, but God does!  The human author of our text scriptures was no freshman in the school of life.  He was not a raw recruit or a novice.  He had lost everything and is limping through life with a thorn in the flesh.  Here, in prison, he writes these words as he awaits trial before a bloodthirsty ruler and religious zealots.  Yet, in all that, he declares – There is a cure for Worry.  You can live the Fret-Free Life!

Another step toward finding and embracing the cure for worry is to realize that in some ways we can help ourselves.  How do we do that?  We cultivate the attitude and habit of looking for the best.  If there are two windows in your house and one looks out at a pigsty and the other a beautiful flower garden, why spend more time looking at the pigsty than the flowers? 

That is what Paul meant when he wrote Philippians 4:8 – Finally, ^[b]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].”

In NOTHING be anxious!  In EVERYTHING through Prayer talk to God and lay the issue before Him. Cast it on Him because He cares and is concerned about you.  It is a reasonable expectation to be anxious for NOTHING, if in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving you are making your requests known to God.  Whatever causes the anxiety is to be taken to God in prayer.  Take all those worries to God and let Him address them.  Be definitive and specific.  Present all requests to God with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving.  God has pledged Himself to meet our needs.

How Will God Do That?  Either by removing that which causes you to worry or by giving you the grace to bear it.  Jesus promised, “My peace, I give to you…”  You can be like Paul in prison and sing praises to God who has everything in control.  You do not have to focus on your problems, you can focus on God who is your possibility. 

My suggestion:  Do something about the situation if you can.  But above all, take it to God in prayer.  Then allow the peace of God that passes all understanding to fill your hearts and minds.  God wants to cure your worry problem and enable you to live a Fret-Free Life.  You have to cooperate; He will not do it all for you!

God bless you as you embark on your Fret-Free Life and Live! 

Philippians 4:6-7

Last time we considered the charge from the apostle Paul that we were not to be Anxious or Worried.  This time I want us to take another step into considering how to discover the Fret-Free Life and be cured of the problem of Worry.

WHY DO WE NEED TO BE WARNED AGAINST WORRY?

There are more reasons that I have time or space to address but one of the many is because it is so common.  Almost everybody worries about something sometime.  It is extremely widespread.  It is not limited to a certain class of people.  The poor worry and so do the rich. The old worry and so do the young.  People who are seemingly on top of the world worry and those at the bottom do as well.  The unchurched worry and so do those who regularly attend church.  Worry is an experience that is no respecter of persons. It comes to one and all when given the opportunity to do so.

We worry about all sorts of things.  Some worry about how to get money, then they worry about how to keep it.  We worry about the things we have and the things we do not have.  We worry about what we have said and what we should have said.  We worry about what we have done and what we should have done.  We worry about our bodies, our souls, our jobs, our families, our relationships, and many other things.  Some worry because they are married and some because they are not.  The circle never ends.  Some worry about not worrying.  We worry over real and imaginary things.

Let me offer an illustration that might be beneficial.  I heard about a man who visited friends in Colorado for the first time.  He told his host that he was going to walk over to the mountains, which he assumed were nearby, before breakfast.  Those mountains that appeared as if he could reach out and touch them were about fifteen miles away. 

His host decided to allow him to discover his error on his own.  The man set out to walk to the mountains he presumed were just a few minutes away.  After a couple of hours, a farmer found him sitting on the bank of an irrigation ditch, taking his shoes off.  The farmer asked, “What are you doing?”  The man said, “I’m going to swim that river.”  The farmer laughed and said, “Man, you could jump across it.” The man was indignant and said, “You folks are not going to make a monkey out of me anymore.  I thought it was only a short distance to those mountains and I discover it is miles. Therefore, I am going to swim this river!”  We worry about how we are going to cross rivers that do not actually exist.

We need the warning because worry is so utterly useless.  Jesus addressed that in his question, “Which of you by taking thought or worrying can add one second to your life or one inch to your height?”  You will not live longer or grow taller by worrying.  Worry solves no problems, dries no tears, and lifts no burdens.  I contend that there are two classes of things about which we should never worry.  Never worry about the things you can do something about.  That is like lying in bed shivering because you do not have enough cover rather than getting up and getting a blanket.  Second, never worry about things you can do nothing about.  Psalm 37 says, “Fret not” and then reveals the end of fretting, “it tends only to evil.”  Worry never does anything but harm.  Worry increases problems increase burdens and produce an abundant harvest of tears.

Worry hurts the person who worries.  It has been said that few things do more harm mentally, physically, and spiritually than worrying.  It takes a lot of work to kill a person, but a little worry moves us toward an early grave with ease.

Worry hurts others.  If we could just be alone and worry without affecting anyone else it might not be as destructive and dangerous as it is, but we cannot.  Worry infects others and dampens their spirits.  Homes, relationships, and lives are ruined due to the little fox of worry.  The person who worries constantly is as annoying as a toothache or a traffic jam on a busy day.

Worry is a wound to the heart of God.  I can only imagine God’s disappointment when the person who claims to love, trust, and believe in Him and His Word goes about moping and fretting as though God were either bankrupt or heatless.  Worry, therefore, is a sin!  I can say that the person who has received the Light of God worries it dishonors God.  It is effectively calling His claims and Promises untrue.  Worry tends only to evil. 

I want to pause one more time and address this more in the next session and give you some hopefully helpful insight as to how to get rid of worry and live the Fret-Free Life.

God bless you as you enjoy this day in Jesus!

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].”  Amplified

In 1988 Bobby McFerrin wrote and released his little song, “Don’t Worry Be Happy.”  It is reported that he got the inspiration from Indian mystic Meher Baba who frequently used the phrase, “Don’t worry, be happy.”  He was also influenced by the jazz duo Tuck & Patti who had a similar poster in their apartment.  His motivation was not biblical inspired, but the idea of choosing happiness over worry. 

The Bill Gaither Trio released, “Why Should I Worry or Fret” song, and many others covered it.  It was based on the biblical principles of faith versus worry and focused on the greatness of God. 

Here in Philippians, the apostle Paul captures one of the many marvelous truths, helps, and comforts afforded within the pages of the Bible.  I suspect that every Christian has a favorite verse or verses that have been a greater inspiration to them than any other passage.  This passage is always an inspiration to me and a challenge.

When we consider the words of this passage, we quickly realize that the person who is anxious or worried about nothing has either fully placed their life and confidence in God’s hands or they are living in a fantasy world.  Total Trust is embodied in the charge and challenge of the apostle.  His simple message was Worry about NOTHING and Pray about EVERYTHING.  He suggests that an attitude of gratitude is necessary.

DON’T BE ANXIOUS OR WORRIED…

That is a very tall order as most of us have discovered in life.  But what does Paul mean? He does not mean to have a flippant, happy-go-lucky not caring attitude toward life.  It is not an appeal to adopt the Doris Day view of life – “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever will be will be.) 

Paul was a man of deep moral conviction.  Life was profoundly serious business to him and should be to us.  He took life seriously and realized that he had no guarantees of tomorrow.  He wanted his followers to embrace a similar view of life.  Life, enjoy but never become nonchalant or flippant. 

Paul was not suggesting that we avoid the “thought-out life.”  If you will recall, it was this apostle who said, “whatsoever a man sows, he will also reap.”  Paul believed it was our right and duty to decide in advance what kind and size of harvest we would reap and sow to that harvest.  The Bible is never opposed to the planned life.  It is opposed to ignoring the directive of the Holy Spirit.  The steps of a good man, the Bible tells us, are ordered by the LORD.

Jesus told the story of a man who set out to build a tower.  The man was haphazard in his planning and preparation.  His objective was not in harmony with his ability to perform, therefore he could not finish the project.  What he built had no value and he was the laughingstock of the community all because of his lack of planning and diligence. 

What Is Paul Suggesting?  He is warning that the person who is fretful and fearful toward life will succumb to fear and lose joy, hope, and faith, and be filled with doubt and worry.  He is warning that we must never listen to the voice of fear but always listen to the voice of faith, through the Holy Spirit.

In short, he is forbidding us to worry!  His foundation is in harmony with the declarations of saints in both testaments.  In the Psalms, we are told to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. God is our refuge and strength, a present help in times of difficulty so do not fear.  Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you.  Also, that fretting only tends to open the door to evil.  It is a doorway to doubt.  In the New Testament, the apostle Peter tells us – “Casting all your care on Him, for He cares for you.”

I have often wondered if Jesus is amazed at how full of fear His followers are from time to time.  In His teachings, He reminded us of how the Father cares for the birds of the sky (never saw a sparrow fall to the ground that God did not take note of).  He speaks of the lilies of the field and their beauty and that even the hairs on our heads were numbered and for those reasons, we had no cause to be fearful or worry.  God is God and has not and will not change!

As I think of this, I see the picture in my mind of our Lord stretching out His arms lovingly and saying, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy burdened, I want to and will give you rest.” 

Therefore, I can say with confidence that the Bible and God are against worry so DON’T WORRY!  Give up and let Jesus take over!  I want to say more but will pause here and wait until the next session.

God bless you as you embark on a Fret-Free day!  Have a good one in Jesus!