Daily Devotional - 9/7/10 (10/7/09)

Prayer Focus - Leaders (any type - World, State, Local, Church, Business, Work)




Day 7


Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
One leader from another country
One local leader
One political leader
One leader you disagree with
One leader you interact with on a daily basis

Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs


Dear Lord - Help me to hear You and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 37



"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away." (vs. 1-2)


"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain form anger and turn from wrath; do not fret- it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land." (vs. 7-9)



It is okay to not worry. In fact, it is more than okay, it is what is expected of us. This seems so counter intuitive. I almost feel guilty if I am not worrying. "Perhaps I am not being responsible if I give up my worry," I think. There is so much that can go wrong in the world. There is so much that can go wrong in my life, in my children's lives. It is overwhelming to think about every danger and yet I often try to. Thankfully, I do not have to. I can give this up and I must remind myself that I need to do this on a daily basis.


This is not just a suggestion either. This is a command. In several places, I am told - Do not worry. It is very clear. I have been commanded to not worry about anything. Not about my life, what I will eat or drink. Not about my body, what I will wear (Matt 6:25-34). Not about evil men. Not even when they are carrying out their wicked schemes (vs 2). Not even then. I am commanded - Do not worry! The evil men will get what's coming to them. It will happen someday. What about the large global and political issues? What about the global economy or the H1N1 virus? Is God bigger than this new flu? Is God bigger than depression? Bigger than world crises? Yes. He is bigger that even these things. What about evil conspiracies and the evil plots of diabolical men. Even then, I am not to fear or worry. I am to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. I am to refrain from anger and turn from wrath. I am to not fret - it leads only to evil. Worrying will not add an hour to my life, rather it will dissipate the energy I have left that could be used to fight. Worry is a large consuming force of Satan's and it has far reaching consequences. I must start viewing it as God does, as a direct affront to Him. It is not a little sin. It is enormous.



"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." (vs. 3-4)


But it is not enough to just stop worrying. I am to start doing something as well. I am to let go of worry and to grab a hold of doing good. I am supposed to start being proactive, not just sit around worrying. I am to start trusting in God, that He will take care of everything and that He knows the ins and outs of my life. I need to remember that not even a sparrow falls to the earth without Him knowing (Matt 10:28-31). Surely He knows my life and times. Surely, He knows my fears. With my youngest daughter's asthma and various other health issues, such as severe food allergies, I have had to come to trust God over and over again. Even as I write this, she is sick again and I am tempted to worry about the flu and all of the warnings of it striking hardest those with underlying health issues. I have had to come to grips with the fact that a day may come when God may want her back with Him. I have spent many nights in the emergency room with her already in her short five years. I am continually reminded that it is not up to me, and now I deal with my husband as well.


I cannot focus on these things or I will be crippled. There was a time when much less would send me off to bed to sleep til the storm had past. Those days are over. God has used life to mature me and He is continually perfecting the process. I have learned that I need to just focus on doing good. If I sit and worry, I waste the time I do have with those I love. I cannot be godly while in the midst of a worry induced panic. So I need to focus on doing good. I need to dwell in the land. I need to live; to be here in the moment, to be with my children and laugh and play. This is so hard for me. I am so used to worrying. It is almost a comfort to me, like a drink to an alcoholic. If I have my worry, I think I will be okay, but I will not be.


I am to live and enjoy safe pasture. I am to have life, and life to the fullest. That is why Jesus came (John 10:10). Then when I die, my existence will be even better. This is so hard for me to fathom. The afterlife is so unknown. I hope and pray to have the child-like faith of my Joelle, (my youngest), who tells me that she cannot wait to go to heaven so that she will not have asthma anymore and will be able to eat nuts and not react. She talks with such longing for the day she will be there and have her perfect body. She shares this with her little friends at school and she laughs and plays in the meantime. She is not afraid. She is not worried. She is good at living and good at trusting. I love that about her and strive to imitate it. Finally, I am to delight myself in the Lord. I am to get to the point where it truly is all about God and I can let go of the rest. Then and only then can He give me the desires of my heart because then and only then will I use His gifts correctly and my desires will also be what are pleasing to Him.


In the end, if we hope in the Lord, we will inherit the land (vs. 9). The Lord laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming (vs. 13). Better the little that the righteous have than evil with money. It is better to be righteous than rich (vs. 16). The power of the wicked will be broken (vs. 17). It may not seem like it now. Evil does seem to rule this old world, but if so, it is only temporary. God wins out in the end and that is what I need to cling on to. In times of disaster, I will not wither or fade (vs. 19). Even in famine, I will be supported and my children protected (vs. 19). For if the Lord delights in me, He will help me and make my ways firm.


I will wait for the Lord and keep His way. There is a future for the man of peace.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord Father,

We want You to delight in us. It is often difficult to know if anyone has ever truly delighted in us, but we would really like that. We want to be special to someone. Father, we know that the righteous are never forsaken. Help us to turn from evil and do good. We know that You will not forsake Your faithful ones. If we hide the law of God is in our hearts, we will not slip. If we are righteous, the Lord will not let us remain under the power of the wicked or be condemned. We are so grateful for You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Am I a worrier? How is this not trusting God? What specific things do I worry about the most? How can I surrender them to God?

2. Am I an angry person? If so, what is the anger about? How can I let this negative emotion go?

3. Am I living life to the fullest and being "in the moment" or am I hiding behind worry? What promises of God can help me to stop worrying?

4. How can I do good and be proactive with my life. What have I been avoiding because of worry or fear? What can I start doing?

5.  Which promises in this psalm encourage me the most?  Why? Which are the hardest for me to understand and grasp at a heart level?  Why?