Sept. 21, 2009

WITNESSING THROUGH PRAISE

Scripture Reading--Proverbs 27:1

"Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not

what a day may bring forty" ( emphasis added ).

Also read Matthew 6:25-34.

There's a lot about the future we cannot know, but we do know that the future is unpredictable. We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. If God knows the future and if we're trusting Him, we can face tomorrow courageously. Missionary William Carey correctly said, "The future is as bright as the promises of God." If we can count on anything, we can count on God's promises. They will not fail us! My sister-in-law used to say, "The future is looking gloriously dark." remember, life has to get worse before it gets better; and for Christians, the best is yet to come.

In Matthew 6:25-34, in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed worry. Many things people worry about spring from uncertainties about the future. When Jesus says, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself: ( v. 34a ), He doesn't imply that we shouldn't think seriously about important matters. He simply tells us not to be overcome by worry or anxiety about the future. We cannot change anything about tomorrow by worrying about it, but worrying will change us.

If God takes care of birds ( v. 26 ) and flowers ( v. 28 ), surely He will take care of us. Food and clothing, the material things of life, are what the unsaved are concerned about. As Christians, we must look beyond the temporal and focus on the eternal through out relationship with God. If we concentrate on kingdom issues and on living godly lives, God will take care of our needs ( v. 33 ). Our future is secure because we're secure in Him.

MEDITATION: As you consider your future as a Christian family, what concerns could worry you? What can you do to prevent anxiety about those concerns?