Trusting God - Trouble (b)

Matthew 6:34 ESV
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

In the second part of this versewe're told that each day has its own troouble and that that troublee is sufficient.

Car breakdowns, illness, traffic, bad news, sudden expenses even missed oppotunities are all the types of trouble we experience and we tend to just take them in stride.  But should we?

Is there anything in our lives that is too trivial for God?  Is there anything about our lives that the God who numbers my hairs and my days can be disconnected from?  No, I have to believe that nothing - NO thing - in and about my life is too trivial for God to be concerned with.

Traffic is bad, other drivers are rude and I am running late for an important meeting.  That has a great effect on my attitiude and temper.  Is God not interested in that as much as anything else?  Is He not concerned that I arrive at the meeting calm and composed so I may do my best and honor Him?  Does He not care about my heart and needs?  To assume - even by lack of attention- that God is not interested in the smallest thing in my life makes a mockery of Jesus' claim that He is interested.

How much attention though do we pay to the trivial?  Do we pray about these things?  A timely arrival at a meeting, a good parking place, no car breakdown,   Or deo we just figure their random things that we just have to suffer and deal with?

Brothers and sisters, our very lives are composed of a multitude of the trivial that all fit together to build our lives.  One thing goes wrong and we feel our dau is spoiled.  A bad hair day and we're cast down all day.  One "little" thing does not go according to our plans and we're mortified and depressed.  It should not be this way.

The only things I know that will assist us in livng in the "trouble" we encounter each day is attention to detail in prayer.  We do not waaste God's time or providence by praying for what we consider trivial or silly.  Indeed when we do pray for these things we are confirming in our hearts and minds that our God is the God of the details no matter how trivial they seem to us.  We do not "bother" god when we go to Him with anything.  Indeed we are dmonished to do exactly that.

Need to meed a quota?  Need Power Point to work right?  Need for traffic to no be a problem?  Why not pray about that?  What excuse could we possibly have for not praying about things of this nature.

Each day has trouble.  /each day needs to begin with pray and especially prayer about facing the trouble the day will bring.  And as we encounter these troubles we need to be praying about them asking God to help us see His use for them, His purpose in allowing them into our lives - when they happen!

Paul tells us to "pray always," and this admonition in Matthew is one very important reason why.  We can never pray too much and we can never thing anything in our lives is too trivial to pray about.

Trusting God?  Trusting God for the trivial?  Who else are you going to trust?  

Trusting God is not about trusting Him for BIG things it is trusting Him for EVERYTHING.

Trusting God - Or? 021414

Jesus tells  that we will trust either God or Mammon (Money).  And who of us could dispute that truth?  For better or ill we need money to live in this fallen world and we are subject to all the schemes and machinations of our economy devised by men and women for whom Mammon if indeed God.

We do foolish things when it comes to money and we do make mistakes.  We take bad advise and well - we sin.  And so money (for both needs and debt) looms large in our vision and can preoccupy our prayers.

It's all too easy to see Mammon as an answer - and we have to admit sometimes it is.  But how do we pray for that answer - and whom we pray to for that answer is critical.

Fred has been out of work for a year.  He and his wife squeak by on what she earns and the kindness of both friends and strangers.  They worry and fret.  They are embarrassed and convicted.  They have erred and sinned when it comes to money.

How do we encourage them?  How do we direct them to pray.   Fred needs a job - they need money - what do we say, what do we do?

Encouraging them to pray for God's provision is a "Yeah duh."  But they struggle with constantly praying for money.  They feel they are using God like and ATM and they do not want to.  They fear imposing upon friends and ruining relationships.  They are embarrassed and to some extent ashamed.  The "brave faces" they put on often crack and become scowls and frowns of shame.

They wonder why God should make up for their errors and their sins with material blessings.  They struggle with bartering with God about what they will do if He come to their relief.  They struggle becasue their prayers seem inundated with their needs to the exclusion of other more important things.

What to we tell them, what do we do?

Are their prayers for financial relief actually prayers to Mammon?    They sometimes feel they are?  Though God provides for them daily and friends and strangers do what they can to help they still struggle with trust even in the face of provision

They know that God is providing but as we all know, looming future needs can force their way into our hearts and blot out that present gratitude with fear and axiousness.

Are they trusting God "Or" are the trusting someone or something else.  They think of some who could relieve their distress either by helping Fred find work of by directly addressing their debt.  They find themselves trying to figure out how God can fix the problem and they even sometimes feel that God expects  then to fix it  their own.

As Fred's wife says, she struggles, " I know God CAN provide, I struggle with IF He WILL  provide."  This is so very common especially when we look at the circumstances as the consequences of of our sin.  We ask, "Why should I ask God to clean up my mess?"  "Why should I expect or even ask Him to undo the consequences of my sin?"

Prayer can be tough in tough times.  The world condemns, Satan raises our failures and sows doubts and the flesh wants to have a pity party or just give up.

Perhaps - just perhaps the safest prayer we could ever pray - regardless of the situation is, "God have mercy on me, a sinner."

When it comes to tough times and the assaults we suffer in them we  tend to "pray to the hurt" instead of praying as we ought.  It's a fight but a fight worth the effort.

But still the question remains, "Am I trusting God for money or am I asking God for money to trust in."

Trusting God Today 021314

Trusting God  Today

We all know Jesus' teaching about God's provision for each day.  But do we ever just sit and think that through?  I don't think many of us do.  We're so caught up in the hustle of the everyday that we just let the day go by without reflecting on how He did provide for us.

It's good to take time at the end of the day to reflect back on how the God who in in charge of everything provided for you during the day.  And don't just think about all He gave you - think as well of what you avoided - what might have happened that didn't.

I know we shouldn't engage in "vain repetitions" in prayer and I emphasize the word "vain."  But I often pray, "Just today Lord, help me focus on just today," over and over as I start my day.  So many thing press in upon my heart and mind that if I don't don't do that then I am distracted in the rest of my prayer by things in the future (both real and imagined).

God is the God of eternity - and He is the God of right now as well.  I live in the right now - I hope in eternity.  I fight to keep my focus on my "right now" needs as I go through the day - looking for His hand in events and circumstances.  I want Him to be my God "today," in each moment.

Yes, I  pray over future events and worries but I only know I have this moment and in this moment I want to be trusting Him.  It's surprising how difficult it is to do - or rather how easy it is to not do.

Perhaps that is why we are encouraged to "pray always."  Perhaps it is in keeping this attitude of prayer that we are able to live in each moment of each day more aware of His providence and care.

I hope I'm making some kind of sense.  Brothers and sisters we only have right now and we only have right now to serve Him in and be thankful in.  Should we not take advantage of it?  Should we not seek His help in focusing on today as today unfolds?  How much do we miss when we are so distracted from God in our lives right now?

Today I will trust God for today.  He has promised me eternity and not tomorrow.  So all I have is today in which to serve and honor Him.  Today certainly has enough trouble but it has blessings as well.  I know I won't miss the first and I know I do not want to miss the second.  I pray I may live today - today - and know His work in my life more intimately and consistently.

Psalm 69:20

Psalm 69:20 ESV
Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair.  I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.

Been their?  Done that?

I read this and my heart was pierced.  I felt the weight of loneliness and abandonment.  It was so very painful.

But as I considered the passage I realized that my feeling wan't fact because I indeed knew that we were pitied (not negatively) and that we has many comforters.  BUT - I did have to look.

It wasn't pity and comforters I have to look at but rather my sense of having none.  I had to confess that my sense of abandonment - of loneliness - of despair we due more to my expectations than any lack of these things.  I had to confess that my "feeling" was due to not seeing any hero on the horizon - not hearing the bugle call of the cavalry coming to the rescue.  I despaired because of my expectations.

It is not uncommon or necessarily wrong to look to people for help as God does use His people to comfort and care for one another.  But I learned that we have to look to Him and not cast about for His means - especially those means we think He should use.  We have to keep our desires, our godly longings and needs focused on Him first, foremost and always.

I also realized that our burdens - just by their existence - were burdens to others.  There are others who hurt and ache for us.  They call out o God for us. They call out to God for more than we know - for us.  Family, friends, other believers - even other believers we don't know or know vaguely.

I was doing business with someone I sometimes use for computer fixes.  I was in a particularly sensitive place in heart and mind.  I guess it showed because shortly after leaving their place of business I got an email from them.  They told me they noticed I was troubled and asked me what was wrong.  I was overwhelmed with surprise and gratitude.

Here was another believer I didn't know well who was sensitive to my need just through my countenance (and probably the Spirit ;-}).  They not only noticed but were willing to take action by inquiring and asking and lifting us up in prayer.  God's hand was in this, I have no doubt.  

What's the point here?  I was looking to friends, family, business associated (all believers) and God threw me a curve ball.  He sent someone outside my circle who noticed, asked, pitied (in a good way) and offered comfort.  I was amazed and grateful but it took a while for me to see the depth and breadth of this blessing.  I am reminded of:


I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.   (Psa 121:1-2)

We typically look to "the hills" for help when we should be looking to the Lord.  This is common because the flesh is still active and it's a nasty habit.  We look everywhere thinking we are looking to Him when we really aren't.  We try to "figure out" how He is going to answer our prayers and we do this figuring in the flesh.  We think of people, circumstances, fate, coincidence, all kinds of things that He may use - but we fool ourselves that in doing this we are looking to Him.

Like God's people all throughout history we begin to seek provision through or from someone or something other than God.  Time and time again we see believers being enticed away from God to sources that offer no hope.  It is, unfortunately, a common thing but a bad thing.

Our "hope," our "trust," is only in Him.


I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.   (Psa 130:5)

Father, may Your Name be glorified by my trust in You.  Forgive my casting about, forgive my seeking in the flesh.  I believe Father - help me in my unbelief.  As a little child I come to You for comfort and correction and like a good Father You have always taken care for me.  
Don't let me forget all the past and even the present mercies Oh Lord.  Help my mind and heart be focused on Your faithfulness and Your glory.  
You alone know my true needs and only Your provision can satisfy.  Calm my heart and still the voice of the deceiver - give me good strength and courage to wait upon You and the rejoice that it is You I wait upon.  For You can never be unfaithful to Your Word and promise.

Comfort and strengthen us.  Let us see Your hand and sense Your love for we are afflicted and we are weak.

Amen