Change

Read: Philippians 3:7-11

Give in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

-1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

LOOKING up at the hills near Lake Elsinore, California, I remembered the hills behind the neighborhood where I grew up. They were a great place to play - fairly safe, with just a slight element of danger to add excitement to our days. Several years later, those hilltops and tiny caves were gone, replaced by large, modern homes.

Just as neighborhoods change over the years, so do people. We go through various experiences that change us. Whether the results are for the better depends largely on our attitude.

Consider the apostle Paul. Both he and his living conditions changed after his experience with Christ on the Damascus Road. Rather than arresting Christians, he became a courageous and bold defender of the faith. He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and imprisoned. Paul certainly had good reason to complain, but he thanked God. Why? Paul recognized that his greatest treasure was Jesus Christ and the righteousness Christ offers.

Change is inevitable for all of us. So when it comes, we can look for the new opportunities God is offering in it and, like Paul, we can rejoice, give , and embrace the change.

Star Ferdinand (Texas, U.S.A.)

PRAYER:

Help us, God, to embrace the changes you bring to our lives and to grow through them. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

Every change brings new opportunities to serve God and to grow.

PRAYER FOCUS:

Those struggling with change

What, Me Worry?

July 3, 2008

What, Me Worry?

READ: Numbers 13:26-33

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. —Philippians 4:6

Whenever a preacher begins to talk about worry, I sense a pair of eyes staring at me. Without even turning my head, I know that my husband is looking at me to see if I’m paying attention.

I hate to admit it, but I’m a worrier. And precisely because there are a lot of people just like me, Jesus addressed this problem in Matthew 6:25-34 when He said: “Do not worry.” Don’t worry about the basic needs of life—food, clothing, shelter—and don’t worry about tomorrow.

Worry may be a symptom of a bigger problem. Sometimes it’s a lack of gratitude for the way God has cared for us in the past. Or perhaps it’s a lack of faith that God really is trustworthy. Or it may be a refusal to depend on God instead of ourselves.

Some people expand the worry circle to their families, friends, and churches. They’re a lot like the 10 spies in Numbers 13:26-33 who spread their fear and doubt to everyone else. But those who put their trust in God alone can stand alongside Joshua and Caleb, the only ones in the group of 12 whom God allowed to enter the Promised Land.

Don’t let worries hold you back from what God may be trying to teach you. He invites you to bring your anxious thoughts directly to Him (Phil. 4:6). — Cindy Hess Kasper

When you feel the tension mounting,

And across the busy day

Only gloomy clouds are drifting,

As you start to worry—pray!

—Anon.

To be anxious about nothing, pray about everything.