Fear Leads to Worry

By Joyce Meyer - Posted April 29, 2017

And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?  
—Matthew 6:27 

Fear and worry are closely related. You might say fear is the parent of every kind of worry because every worry starts as a fear. The Bible clearly teaches that God’s children are not to worry. When we worry, we rotate our minds around and around a problem and come up with no answers. The more we do it, the more anxious we feel. When we worry, we actually torment ourselves with a type of thinking that produces no good fruit. Worry starts with our thoughts, but it affects our moods and even our physical bodies. 

A person can worry so much that it makes them feel depressed and sad. Worry places stress on your entire system and causes a lot of physical ailments like headaches, tension in muscles, stomach problems, and many other things. It never helps, and it does not solve our problems. 

We can worry about hundreds of different things, from what people think of us to what will happen to us as we age. How long will we be able to work? Who will take care of us when we get old? What happens if the stock market crashes? What if gas prices go up? What if I lose my job? Quite often, worry does not even have a basis or a nugget of truth to it. There is no known reason to even think about the things that worry and then frighten us. 

The only answer is to stop worrying by placing your trust in God. He has the future all planned, and He knows the answer to everything. What we worry about frequently never happens anyway, and if it is going to happen, worrying won’t prevent it. God’s Word promises us that He will take care of us if we trust in Him. 

Trust in Him: What are you worrying about? Cast your cares on Jesus. He wants you to trust Him with every thought, burden, and worry that you’re carrying because He’s fully capable of taking care of you (see 1 Peter 5:7).

Captured by Grace: Amazing Grace

By DR. David Jeremiah – Posted April 29, 2017

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
1 Timothy 1:15

The story of the slave-ship captain John Newton is well known, and the words of his famous hymn come as no surprise: “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.” John Newton’s salvation surprised many people but none as much as John Newton himself. He might have claimed the title “chief of sinners” for himself if the apostle Paul had not claimed it first.

Recommended Reading: Acts 22:1-5

No greater testament to the grace of God exists than when a life like John Newton’s or the apostle Paul’s is interrupted and dramatically changed. As famous as Paul became for building up Christians, he was equally famous for tearing them down before meeting Christ. He became known to theologians as the “apostle of grace” because he never seemed to get over the fact that he, the “chief of sinners,” had been saved by the Lord he had once persecuted.

But it is not just the worst sinners who are trophies of grace. Because all have sinned (Romans 3:23), every soul saved is saved by amazing grace.

Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that is greater than all our sin. 
Julia H. Johnston

SEE GOD’S GOODNESS IN THE MIDST OF EVIL

By Joseph Prince – Posted April 29, 2017

Matthew 2:13

…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

God does not play a game of counterattack with the devil—the devil does something bad, then God steps in to bring something good out of it. The truth is, when something bad happens, it is the devil reacting to something good that God has started. The Lord once told me, “Tell My people that if they want to understand what I am doing, just look at what the devil is doing and see it in reverse. That is what I am doing, multiplied many times over.”

I see this truth in the Bible. When Christ was born, soldiers were sent to kill all baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem. The folks in Bethlehem then would have seen only evil. But there were those like Mary who saw God’s goodness. They knew that God had sent a Savior into the world! The killing of the infants was just the devil’s reaction to the gift of salvation that God had sent.

The Lord showed me that this was how we were to look at the bird flu when it hit our region not too long ago. While I was pondering the significance of birds, the Lord showed me Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

If God takes care of the birds, how much more will He take care of you! So, by attacking the birds with disease, the devil is, in essence, reacting to God’s provision for His people. In other words, he saw that God’s provision had already been released on His people in a big way!

With every new virus that the devil throws at us, you must discern that the devil is trying to pervert and reverse what God is already doing. Then, you will know that something good is going to come out of it. You see, every new strain of virus tells us that God has already released a new anointing of health for His people. And I believe that He releases new levels of increase for His people too. So don’t just see the evil. See the good that God is already doing!

Thought For The Day

Don’t just see the evil around you. See the good that God is already doing!

Raise the Standard

By Joel Osteen – Posted April 29, 2017

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

REMIND PEOPLE to be submissive to [their] magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be prepared and willing to do any upright and honorable work.
Titus 3:1, AMPC

TODAY'S WORD:

How do you honor God? A lot of times people think, “Oh, I go to church to honor God. I read my Bible to honor God. I sing and clap in worship to honor God.” And yes, those are ways to honor God, but did you know that you also honor God when you get to work on time? You honor God when you are productive each day and respect the people who are in authority over you. You honor God when you excel in your career. 

Actions speak louder than words. When you give your very best in the workplace, your whole life is giving praise to God. Showing up with a good attitude, friendly, organized, being your best—people will notice there’s something different about you. They’ll want what you have. 

As believers, we should set the standard in all areas of life. People should see the depth of your character and your spirit of excellence and know that you are a child of the Most High God. Today, make the decision to honor Him in all that you do because you are His representative, His hands and feet in the Earth.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, I choose to honor You in all that I do. I choose to set the standard and do my very best. Thank You for the privilege of being Your representative. Help me to show Your love and excellence in everything I do in Jesus’ name. Amen.