Always ready with an answer
Day 2 of my fast from worry:
So, I was talking to God as I sorted the mail today...I expressed my frustration with trying to understand how we're supposed to be not worried when throughout the Bible there are worrisome things that happen and it is almost contradictory. Be not afraid - but fear the wrath of God. Don't worry - but work out your own salvation with fear and trembling - sounds as though I need to worry about my salvation...I dunno...I was just frustrated...God said "Phillipians 4:13" I said "yeah - yeah - I know - I can do all things through Christ...I don't need to read it and sometimes Paul stresses me out anyway." But I kept getting poked at "Phillipians 4:13...Phillipians 4:13"...So I opened my Message Bible - which is the one I have with me right now - it does not have verse #s so I had to read the whole of chapter 4...Part of which states:
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Amazing. Again, I was not prior to this reading familiar with the content of this chapter save for v13. But it speaks directly to my concerns/situation. This version of the scripture stated it in such a way that I needed to hear it. If I will do these thing, all the things that I find conflicting will pull together and make sense. Everything in God's Word speaks truth - even if it seems on the surface contradictory...It is in asking the Holy Spirit to help us understand that we "get it". He didn't give me the answer here such that I completely understand now. But he showed me HOW to get there. And each day He shows me a little more...He gives me from the scriptures and from life what **I** need to know and understand because my task/life/purpose is different than that of other people.
God ROCKS!
AMEN!!
So, I was talking to God as I sorted the mail today...I expressed my frustration with trying to understand how we're supposed to be not worried when throughout the Bible there are worrisome things that happen and it is almost contradictory. Be not afraid - but fear the wrath of God. Don't worry - but work out your own salvation with fear and trembling - sounds as though I need to worry about my salvation...I dunno...I was just frustrated...God said "Phillipians 4:13" I said "yeah - yeah - I know - I can do all things through Christ...I don't need to read it and sometimes Paul stresses me out anyway." But I kept getting poked at "Phillipians 4:13...Phillipians 4:13"...So I opened my Message Bible - which is the one I have with me right now - it does not have verse #s so I had to read the whole of chapter 4...Part of which states:
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Amazing. Again, I was not prior to this reading familiar with the content of this chapter save for v13. But it speaks directly to my concerns/situation. This version of the scripture stated it in such a way that I needed to hear it. If I will do these thing, all the things that I find conflicting will pull together and make sense. Everything in God's Word speaks truth - even if it seems on the surface contradictory...It is in asking the Holy Spirit to help us understand that we "get it". He didn't give me the answer here such that I completely understand now. But he showed me HOW to get there. And each day He shows me a little more...He gives me from the scriptures and from life what **I** need to know and understand because my task/life/purpose is different than that of other people.
God ROCKS!
AMEN!!
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