We must
accept that there are some things outside our power and responsibility that are
God’s. What are you fretting or worrying about at the moment? What is it that’s
teasing or troubling or harassing you with such insistence or demand that you
fear or hate facing another day? Or such that you cannot focus on anything or
concentrate in school, deliver well in your work or relate with others, even
God? Do you
need rescuing or are you on the
brink of despair? Do your very tiny part (not worrying); do what you can do as
expected and leave the rest to God. That is not escapism
or wishing away problems. Those should drive you to him; to seek, ask, and
receive from him, not only peace but actual relief and ample supply befitting
your needs. Faith/trust
in the Lord our God is the only
ray of comfortable light which shines through the darkness of any situation. He
assures his children that he will never to leave or forsake them Deuteronomy 31v6; 1Samuel 12v22; Nehemiah
9v17; Hebrews13v5.
Will you
be obedient to God’s command not to worry? There’s no reason why should not. “The
obedient”, someone has observed, are always “self-forgetful, and are touched with a certain sweet
serenity” as they place their trust in God! He is the only one in whom even the very deadly
elements in nature are harmless. Jesus safeguards us so that nothing can harm
us. It is in him that God is specially, providentially, savingly good!
Personally, it is no fancy or shame to wrap all
my troubles in the rags of my life, and lay them at the feet of the Lord Jesus.
He lovingly cares! 1Pet 5v7 Throw all your worry on
him, because he cares for you. He is the master of the universe, the
miraculous provider, and the lover of my soul. It is his desire that we would
be lifted up above the present cares and difficulties of life through faith. Circumstances
may be bleak, and things may be very bad; the economy of your life may be
teetering on collapse, and situations may seem all but hopeless — but God is
still in control – the wheels of providence are still turning. The dreams and
hopes of our childhood or early adulthood or mid-life may vanish, and we may appear
to be confounded and/or left under a cheerless sky. But Christ Jesus always is
with us to inspire and strengthen and keep us. “Better than any song of angels
is His fellowship. It is the true secret of a happy life” reiterates an encouraging
saint.
Bellow, I have inserted one of Spurgeon’s
devotionals. He quotes Psalm 55v22 Cast your burden on the
LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
‘Care,
even though exercised upon legitimate objects, if carried to excess, has in it
the nature of sin. The precept to avoid anxious care is earnestly inculcated by
our Saviour, again and again; it is reiterated by the apostles; and it is one
which cannot be neglected without involving transgression: for the very essence
of anxious care is the imagining that we are wiser than God, and the thrusting
ourselves into his place to do for him that which he has undertaken to do for
us. We attempt to think of that which we fancy he will forget; we labour to
take upon ourselves our weary burden, as if he were unable or unwilling to take
it for us. Now this disobedience to his plain precept, this unbelief in his
Word, this presumption in intruding upon his province (domain/authority), is
all sinful.
Yet
more than this, anxious care often leads to acts of sin. He who cannot calmly
leave his affairs in God’s hand, but will carry his own burden, is very likely
to be tempted to use wrong means to help himself. This sin leads to a forsaking
of God as our counsellor, and resorting instead to human wisdom. This is going
to the “broken cistern” instead of to the “fountain;” a sin which was laid
against Israel of old. Transgression destroys peace of mind, obscures
fellowship with Jesus, hinders prayer, brings darkness over the soul.
Anxiety
makes us doubt God’s loving-kindness, and thus our love to him grows cold; we
feel mistrust, and thus grieve the Spirit of God, so that our prayers become
hindered, our consistent example marred, and our life one of self-seeking. Thus
lack of confidence in God leads us to wander far from him; but if through
simple faith in his promise, we cast each burden as it comes upon him, and are
“careful for nothing” because he undertakes to care for us, it will keep us
close to him, and strengthen us against much temptation. “Thou wilt keep him in
perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.”’
Elsewhere
Spurgeon writes that we should (instead of worrying) “cry to God never to leave
us”; leave us not to ourselves. “Lord, keep us everywhere. Keep us when in the
valley, that we murmur not against thy humbling hand; keep us when on the
mountain, that we wax not giddy through being lifted up; keep us in youth, when
our passions are strong; keep us in old age, when becoming conceited of our
wisdom, we may therefore prove greater fools than the young and giddy; keep us
when we come to die, lest, at the very last, we should deny thee! Keep us
living, keep us dying, keep us labouring, keep us suffering, keep us fighting,
keep us resting, keep us everywhere, for everywhere we need thee, O our God!”
So never give up hope and do
not take refuge in worry and despair. Resolve with wise boldness.
You may enter in but don’t settle down in that
“luxury of woe.” It is no glorious adventure! Be of good cheer instead, worry
not and enjoy the poem below.
WORRY NOT
©Mwango Lupupa 05/06/2016
Stumble not into another day of
hopeless worrying
Humble yourself not with crying
Work not with anxiety
Reward is God’s providential surety
Though now in pain
It won’t be in vain
If in Jesus Christ you trust
Upon Him yourself thrust
Kept you will be by faithfulness
eternal
Untouched by malicious infernal
Floods of today’s problems
Winds of current needs but emblems
God’s timely lure
Prove His wisdom sure
Seek His kingdom and righteousness
first
For Him hunger and thirst
Daily necessities will be added to you
Let nothing worry you
Casting Crowns
sung a contemporary conscience-awakening and heart-searching song in which pertinent
questions are asked specifically to Christians. Some lines go something like,
“If we are the body, why aren’t his arms reaching; why aren’t his hands healing;
why aren’t his words teaching? And if we are the body, why aren’t his feet
going; why is his love not showing them there’s a way?” It makes one feel
ashamed for not doing as much as they, or their ministry, should be doing. There
are times when it hurts to be associated with Hope Ministry, especially if you
were chairperson, because of its average or below performance (and that’s a
personal assessment). I penned a poem about the poor and it’s placed at the end
and this drawing is by talented Sunday Bwalya, a third year University of
Zambia student of Economics and member of Hope.
We must
accept that there are some things outside our power and responsibility that are
God’s. What are you fretting or worrying about at the moment? What is it that’s
teasing or troubling or harassing you with such insistence or demand that you
fear or hate facing another day? Or such that you cannot focus on anything or
concentrate in school, deliver well in your work or relate with others, even
God? Do you
need rescuing or are you on the
brink of despair? Do your very tiny part (not worrying); do what you can do as
expected and leave the rest to God. That is not escapism
or wishing away problems. Those should drive you to him; to seek, ask, and
receive from him, not only peace but actual relief and ample supply befitting
your needs. Faith/trust
in the Lord our God is the only
ray of comfortable light which shines through the darkness of any situation. He
assures his children that he will never to leave or forsake them Deuteronomy 31v6; 1Samuel 12v22; Nehemiah
9v17; Hebrews13v5. 