Pages

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Don't worry...

Philippians 4:6,7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."



There really is so much you could get stressed over in this life; and actually, none of it is worth stressing over!  What good will worrying do you?  It is not only very unproductive (and bad for your health as well), but according to the Bible, worrying is a sin!  By worrying, we are actually telling God that we do not have complete faith and trust in Him, and in His decisions. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him..."  Hebrews  11:6

Nothing can happen to a person unless God, in His goodness, allows it... even the most tragic things that happen in the world come about because God has a good reason for it, that will result in accomplishing His purposes-- drawing more souls to Heaven.

Isn't that a wonderful thought?

Psalms 23:4
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me."

Proverbs 3:5,6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. "

The more we learn about our wonderful Lord (through prayer and Bible reading), the more faith we'll have in Him!

Matthew 6:25-34
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 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? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Knowing God Through His Word: Genesis 1


God is Creator.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (v.1)

God is a Spirit.
And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (v. 2b)

God speaks with authority.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (v. 3)
And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters . . . And it was so. (v. 6-7)
And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. (v. 9)
And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation . . . And it was so. (v. 11)
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens . . . And it was so. (v. 14-15)
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds . . . And it was so. (v. 24)

God is good, and everything He says, does, and creates is good.
And God saw that the light was good. (v. 4)
God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. (v.10)
The earth brought forth vegetation . . .And God saw that it was good. (v. 12)
And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars . . . And God saw that it was good. (v. 16, 18)
So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm . . .and every winged bird . . . And God saw that it was good. (v. 21)
And God made the beasts of the earth . . .and the livestock . . .and everything that creeps on the ground . . . And God saw that it was good. (v. 25)
And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. (v. 31)

God is wise.
God is orderly.
These characteristics are displayed in the sequence of creation.

God always has a plan in mind; He makes provision for the future.
And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (v. 11-12)

God is creative.
And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens. So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (v. 20-21)
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. (v. 24)

God is generous.
And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food. (v. 29-30)

Application: What can I learn from this?

I am accountable to God because He is my Creator.

Nothing I have belongs to me because God created the earth and everything in it.  
The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1)

I can trust God exclusively because He is good and all that He does is good.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." (James 1:17a)

I need to be grateful to my Creator because He so generously provides.