“Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'.”
1 SAMUEL 1-3
6“The Lord brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
8He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.
“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
9He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.
“It is not by strength that one prevails;
10those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.(2:6-10)
LUKE 12:1-34
Do Not Worry
22Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your lifeb ?26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
JOURNAL
This scripture always gets me. Today is a gift. I looked up the statistics on daily death and discovered that on average 164,000 people die every single day. I believe one of the reasons Jesus emphasized this point is that it's a reality that most humans take for granted. What's even crazier is that in addition to this gift of life, as believers we have so much more.
As a believer I also hold the trump card of all trump cards. I have the spirit of God living in me. This is almost too much to process. I have the God of David and the spirit that led him to slay Goliath. I have the spirit of Moses and the boldness that drove him back into Egypt and to stand up to Pharaoh. I have the spirit of Joseph and the persistence and endurance to hold onto a dream through 15 years in prison. I have the spirit of Daniel and his courage to stare down hungry lions and escape unscathed without compromising his integrity. I have spirit of Paul, Peter, John and all the disciples and apostles that endured opposition and persecution. Because ultimately I have the life and spirit of Jesus living in me, the one that will never leave me or forsake me.
Reality is that I have no excuses...I have all I could ever want or need. No need to wait or process or find more courage or inspiration. Today is the day, today is what I get, today I am to turn it loose. Father I pray that this thought is the most present in my heart and mind. I pray that all my actions are done in ways that honor you and the gift of life. I trust that you will use my actions to bring encouragement, love and hope to a world that is starving for your grace and often is blinded by fear and anger. Thank you for today, Thank you for 52 amazing years on this earth. Thank you for all the blessings, the lessons, the triumphs, the heartaches, the relationships, the opportunities...all of it.
This scripture always gets me. Today is a gift. I looked up the statistics on daily death and discovered that on average 164,000 people die every single day. I believe one of the reasons Jesus emphasized this point is that it's a reality that most humans take for granted. What's even crazier is that in addition to this gift of life, as believers we have so much more.
As a believer I also hold the trump card of all trump cards. I have the spirit of God living in me. This is almost too much to process. I have the God of David and the spirit that led him to slay Goliath. I have the spirit of Moses and the boldness that drove him back into Egypt and to stand up to Pharaoh. I have the spirit of Joseph and the persistence and endurance to hold onto a dream through 15 years in prison. I have the spirit of Daniel and his courage to stare down hungry lions and escape unscathed without compromising his integrity. I have spirit of Paul, Peter, John and all the disciples and apostles that endured opposition and persecution. Because ultimately I have the life and spirit of Jesus living in me, the one that will never leave me or forsake me.
33“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light."
LUKE
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