GMG Week 6

Monday

Matthew 6:25-27

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?


I guess it comes down to this: do I trust my heavenly father or not? When I worry, I'm saying I don't think he can handle it and that is sin. 
My own earthly father worked hard to provide for us. He worked hard jobs that he probably would rather have not. My husband is right now working a job that he would rather not. They do it to provide, because they love their children. They make sure they are fed and have clothes. Isn't God just as capable of this?... and so much more? So why worry? Worry only steals our joy and doesn't accomplish anything anyway. And it teaches our children to worry also. What they see from us is what they will likely do themselves. 
Choose trust and see what your heavenly father does... take a look around and see what he has already done! He is good. He is faithful. 
"He is faithful in all he does." Psalm 33:4
"Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds." Psalm 36:5
"The faithfulness of the Lord endures forever." Psalm 117:2
"The Lord is faithful to all his promises." Psalm 145:13
...and that's just a few reminders! 

***************

Tuesday

Romans 1:20

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

All can see the creation of God and through it see who he is. But that should not keep us as parents from talking to our children about him and his creation. Pointing out the greatness of who he is and helping them to appreciate and desire to truly know who he is and experience his love.

When a person takes time to take in the beauty of a piece of art or listen to beautiful music, doesn't it make them in awe of the author's talents? ...and also cause them to want to know more about him or her? Our children, at first, may see or hear these things but not necessarily be may not be drawn to them, but we can help them learn to appreciate them by examining and talking about them. This is what we should be doing with God's creation as well. And I believe it also helps us to keep things in perspective as well... to be in awe of God's nature and greatness.

***************

Wednesday

Matthew 9:36-38

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

When I read this verse, I think of many of the youth we have worked with over the years. I see they have no guidance in God's ways, and actually little real guidance at all. I see them out trying to live their lives, trying to be older than they are and making all kinds of wrong decisions. I see how wishy-washy they are and how angry they can become and how their outlook on themselves is so down. This is because they are helpless, they have no shepherd, and are therefore being harassed by the enemy... they are being eaten up. And this sad fact is not just limited to youth, there are plenty of adults who are alone too.

Although the Lord is our shepherd, we as parents also have to shepherd our children and teach them right paths so that they can learn to hear Him for themselves. It is a dangerous world out there, with a ravenous enemy waiting to devour them... we MUST not take that lightly. We MUST not leave them helpless. We are accountable for them. And furthermore, we have a great opportunity to also teach our children to see how the world is eating up others and pray together for their friends and others we know. We can help them learn to hear God and what he may be calling them to do to help reach and guide back these lost sheep. We can help them to see how much Jesus loves each one and how precious they are to him and help give them a heart to want to help in the rescue... because time is limited.

***************

Thursday

Hebrews 11:1-3

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what is visible.

What speaks to me most here is that so many in the Bible went or did things that they probably would not have even thought of on their own (and probably even questioned the sanity of) because they loved God and trusted him- they stepped out in obedience and in certainty that God was with them. In reading through Hebrews 11, I see a recount of some powerful things that took place because of the faith that these people had in God. But I also see those who endured pain and torture for the sake of their faith. Yet they were all used by God and a part of fulfilling his plan.

---They were committed! They took it seriously. It wasn't just a word to them. It encompassed who they were! And they gave their all for it. ---   

I think that every time I start to get confused or depressed about my circumstances I will come back to this passage and read about those who were willing to do whatever or who endured terrible pain, and then I ask myself if what I'm going through is really so tough. Yes, I will go through hard times but if my faith is as real as I say it is, then I will trust God, lean on Him and press on. 

Faith to me is loving and trusting God enough to follow wherever he leads and endure whatever is ahead so I too can be used as part of his great plan- because I am certain that it is good.

And again, on this journey of following God and training our kids along the path, we can use these times in our lives (times of going, doing, enduring) to point them back to scripture also. We can talk to them about why we follow God and others who have gone before us. When I read "faith stories" I get inspired... our kids will too.

***************

Friday

Psalm 19:1-4

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to end of the world.

***************