Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

God wants you to be wise and surefooted in your daily walk withHim, not allowing anything to come into your life that would causeyou to doubt His goodness.
He also knows that there will be timeswhen the enemy will tempt you to feel fearful and out of control.When this happens, you need to remember that you serve a sovereignGod who has good things in mind for your life.Even when troubles come, we may begin to wonder if we will everrealize the hopes and dreams that God has given us. Joseph, Daniel,Moses, David, and Peter and the other disciples probably faced thesame temptation to doubt God's blessing and goodness. However,these men of faith remained steadfast in their belief in the Lord'sability. They had to come to a point of faith where they boldly confronted their fears--and we do, too.The English word worry comes from a German word meaning "tostrangle or choke." This is exactly what worry does. It chokes and prevents us from living victorious lives by stifling our godly potential. Solomon, however, admonishes us to "catch ... the foxes, the littlefoxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom"(Song of Songs 2:15). The "little foxes" of sin have the ability toderail our Christian faith and sense of virtue.On the surface, few of us would think that a little worry, doubt,or fear is enough to harm our devotion to God. However, they can steal our joy and create within our hearts and minds a sense of distrust for the things of God. God is merciful. He has the power to conquer doubt, fear, and worry. When our lives are surrendered to Him, we don't have to be anxious about tomorrow. He provides all that we need perfectly and on time. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied (Luke6:21).