Monday Devo

Read Luke 12:22-34. This follows nicely on the parable of the rich fool. We shouldn't store up in the matter he did because we should trust our father to provide. Worry can kill us in many ways but mostly it kills our intimacy with our father. Imagine being a father who has literally everything possible at your finger tips but you have children who are constantly fretting about having enough. That is our father's position. He longs for this truth to settle deeply in us.

Verse 28 brings to light the obvious - worry is directly linked to a lack of faith. Then 29-30 point out the heart of the matter. What we set our heart on will determine the anxiety in our life. What is it we really want? Does our father want us to have it. Like a wise man recently taught me, "if God wants us to have it - nothing can get in the way. If he doesn't - then we don't need it!" 

Like all emotions worry allows us to look in and examine our heart. The moment we feel stress stop and ask yourself - what do I have my heart set on that I'm not getting? Does God want me to have it? If the answer is yes then we must trust He's big enough to provide. If we are having to wait then we must trust he's shaping our character - probably so we can handle the blessing of the gift. For example I have seen young gals desperate to get married but no husband in sight. They pray long and wait but during the waiting if they do verse 31 "seek his kingdom" they are being perfected by God so they have the character needed to make a marriage work.

The last few verses bring us fully back to the rich fool. Do we have an eternal perspective? When our heart first longs for the Kingdom and Jesus has again become our first love (Rev 2:4). We will worry but about the right things. Notice Jesus doesn't say in the passage to never worry. Worry is a human emotion like anger that he gave us. Verse 22 said, "don't worry about your life." 

Is our treasure here or in the next life? Our money will pretty much answer that question for us. God doesn't ask us to tithe because he needs our money. He asks us to give 1/10 as a minimum so he can prove to us how He's a good father - pleased to give us the kingdom - when we trust him!!!

questions

1) What do you worry about in your life?

2) What part of this passage helps you the most?

3) What strategies does God use to help us stop worrying and to trust him?

prayer

Father forgive us for our silly fear. We don't think its silly at the time but when we consider you created the earth in 6 days and parted the red sea - raised your son from the dead - they seem a bit silly. We know you're a good father. We need more grace to trust you more. Please increase our faith. Remind us of how you've blessed us before even when we thought our resources we're depleted.  (Spend a few minutes remembering times when God has shown up before and pulled you through. Write them down - praise and thank Him!)