THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)
ROUGH ROAD REMINDER: GIVE IT TO GOD
A stock assistant was working at a grocery store on Christmas Eve. One of the things he was responsible for was the display in one of the aisles which was a pyramid of canned products. He had to rebuild this display many times throughout the day because people would inadvertently knock it down. It had been a very long day and it was 15 minutes to closing time. A little boy, about 4 years old, approached the display fascinated by it with his older sister nearby. The little boy reached up and took one of the cans out of the middle of the display before his sister could stop him and the entire display came crashing down. The stock assistant snapped and started yelling at the boy and demanding that he pick up every can. The little boy stood there in shock until his sister quietly bent down and started picking up the cans and restacking them. The little boy then followed her example. Once the display was rebuilt the sister apologized to the stock assistant and said, “My brother has Down’s Syndrome and is a little different. Yelling at him or demanding that he do something doesn’t work. You have to love him into it.”
That’s what God does for us. He loves us into a personal relationship with Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ in the humble form of a baby. Can you think of any more non-threatening way that God could have extended His hand out to us and said “Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”? (Ned Bartlebaugh, God’s Gift to You and Me)
The Apostle Paul told the church to let “God know your concerns.” God is patient and gentle with us. God is constantly inviting us to give Him our worries because He cares for us. God loves us through our struggles.
Reflection
This is such an easy time of the year for anxiety to set in. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” What is giving you anxiety? Give it to God in prayer today.
Praise
Our confidence in prayer comes from confidence in the character and nature of God. He’s good and loving! Praise God for the things you know about His character and nature.
