In Other Words for February 16

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

freedom
n
1. personal liberty, as from slavery, bondage, serfdom, etc.
2. liberation or deliverance, as from confinement or bondage
3. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) the quality or state of being free, esp to enjoy political and civil liberties
4. (usually foll by from) the state of being without something unpleasant or bad; exemption or immunity freedom from taxation
5. the right or privilege of unrestricted use or access the freedom of a city
6. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) autonomy, self-government, or independence
7. the power or liberty to order one's own actions
8. (Philosophy) Philosophy the quality, esp of the will or the individual, of not being totally constrained; able to choose between alternative actions in identical circumstances
9. ease or frankness of manner; candour she talked with complete freedom
10. excessive familiarity of manner; boldness
11. ease and grace, as of movement; lack of effort

resign
v. re•signed, re•sign•ing, re•signs
v.tr.
1. To submit (oneself) passively; accept as inevitable: I resigned myself to a long wait in line.
2. To give up (a position, for example), especially by formal notification.
3. To relinquish (a privilege, right, or claim).


In Hebrews 13:5 God tells us not to love money because God will never leave nor forsake us. "But to get through life one needs money", you say. Have you ever stopped to consider the attitudes of those who are poor, and yet trust in God against the attitudes of those who are rich and only have a passing acquaintance with God? From the outside looking in, one would surmise that the poor would be scared of where their next meal came from or how they would keep a roof over their head. And one would assume that those with money would not have a worry in the world.

However, what we find is that those with money and without God usually are constantly concerned with losing it or how to get more and never truly find peace, whereas those tending to have less in life, who rely on God fully and completely, tend to have a more relaxed and peaceful demeanor because they KNOW that God will never let them down, that God will always provide.

Let's look at a prime example from history regarding one who solely relied on God to get him through.

George Mueller was born less than a decade before Charles Dickens in 1805; so he was certainly aware of all the horrors of society that the famed novelist describes in his works and in 1834 he decided to do something about it. He and his best friend, Henry Craik, founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institution (SKI) in Bristol, England, with one of their prime objectives being to establish Orphan Homes for the many homeless children in Great Britain.

But Mueller and Craik had no money, nor did they intend to ask anyone for it: they believed that God would provide everything they needed - without patronage, without requests for contributions and without debts. All they had to do was pray, and God would provide. For 64 years, that was how George Mueller operated. SIXTY FOUR YEARS!!! Relying solely on God's provision by TRUSTING their lives and the lives of those they cared for into God's hands.

Here are some of the ways he prayed. First, he never shared a need with anyone but God. Second, when he had a need, he opened his Bible, searched for a promise that fit that need, and then meditated on that scripture. Mueller believed in the power of thinking through scripture as much as he believed in the power of prayer. Third, he pleaded for that promise before God. And he didn't just pray for money: he prayed for individuals as well. Sometimes Mueller prayed for someone for as long as fifty years. He didn't stop praying for anyone or anything until he got his request. That's how convinced he was that God would answer his prayers. Through his prayers, Mueller obtained the modern-day equivalent of $150 M for his charities; he led tens if not hundreds of thousands to the Lord; and he lived to be 93 years old. That was the power of his faith and life.

Once, when there was no food to give the children and it was almost lunch time, one of Mueller's assistants came to him, worried. Mueller said, "It's not twelve o'clock yet." Just then, a truck pulled up to the orphanage loaded with food from an unsolicited donor. Often, Mueller had no idea where their next meal was coming from: he just trusted God's promises. Another time, when Mueller was onboard a ship that was lost in fog, he comforted the anxious captain by saying, "My eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life." They came out of the fog, and that captain later gave his life to Christ.

Part of Mueller's success was due to his attitude. Someone once asked him the secret of his service, and he said, "There was a day when I died, utterly died: died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends. And since then, I have studied only to show myself 'approved unto God.'" Being dead to self, the world, approval and blame freed Mueller of the cares of life that hold so many of us back, freed him to be alive only to Christ, freed him to serve.

It freed him from the fear that so many face when threatened with the unknown. Well, the unknown may be unknown to us, but it isn't to God. So why don't we just, as the saying goes, "Let go and let God". Let go of our fears. Let go of our worries. Let go of our cares. Let go of our expectations. Instead let God become the focus of our lives. Give all of our burdens, concerns, worries, cares, needs, fears, etc. over to Him. He will not let us down. As Matthew 6:25-34 above states. Are we not worth more to God than the birds of the air or the lilies of the field? How much more will our Heavenly Father give to us as we put our Faith and Trust solely and completely in Him?

My family is one that is living this daily. My husband has been without a job now since October 9 – his birthday. I have given my fears and worries over making ends meet to God. I have placed myself in His hands. Place my family in His hands. Trusted Him with the Faith of a child that He would allow us to be able to make ends meet. To be able to pay all of our bills. I have the youngest daughter in a private school and a 12 week old in a preparatory school/daycare. There is rent, utilities, insurance, vehicles, groceries, etc. Certainly MUCH more than what my income could ever cover alone. God has covered it all and allowed us to have some extra as needed. God has been MUCH MORE than gracious.

Forget about being in good hands with Allstate. I'm in good hands with God! I have overcome that fear of tomorrow and what it might bring because I know that God will take care of us. He has proven Himself faithful always and in ALL ways so how could I do anything less than put my whole self into His keeping?

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

1. "Great is Thy faithfulness," O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Chorus:
"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
"Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!

2. Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Chorus

3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Please visit Debbie @ Heart Choices for more perspectives on this week's In Other Word's quote.