Jesus I am Yours forever / I am absolutely in love with You
Today, I spent about an hour in God's presence and it was lovely. I was comforted and refreshed :)
With all the terrible results coming back (I really mean it when I say terrible), it's been so difficult to feel anything but disappointment, anxiety and stress. But God has been faithful. Reading Max Lucado's Fearless now, and it has everything to do with not fearing. So today, I dug up my daily devotion notes and extracted all the verses about not fearing and whatnot. Honestly, reading and rereading them fills me with such a deep sense of peace that it's safe to say I'm feeling much better now. Perhaps you're going through a situation similar to mine, so here are the verses/passages that I hope will bring you as much comfort as it did bring me :)
That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Matthew 6:25-34 (NLT)
Whether you have enough. We always worry that we don't have enough - money, food, clothings, credentials, intelligence... but look at the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field. If God takes care of them, how much more will He take care of you?
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27 (NKJV)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18 (NKJV)
But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Matthew 8:26 (NKJV)
Taken from the passage where Jesus was sleeping soundly in the boat while His disciples were battling against a seismic storm. They were so scared that they woke Him up and demanded Him to do something, and this was His response. I can only imagine what was running through His disciples' heads: what kind of man is this that even nature would listen to it? Indeed, we serve a great God.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 12:34 (ESV)
Mhmm so there isn't a point in worrying about material things because you know that ultimately, death is the equalizer of the rich and poor, the haves and have-nots. So build your treasure where it will amount to something.
Lamentations 3:1-36 (The Message)
A little lengthy but worth the read. Jeremiah starts off on this whole rant about God apparently forsaking him but I love how he somehow realizes from v21 onwards: But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God's loyal love couldn't have run out, His merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great Your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left. So taking some advice from Jeremiah, When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst. Beautiful. Just the words I needed.
And yes, our all-time trusty Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV).
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
I want to be careless in the care of God (Matthew 6:26, The Message). Teach me.
Like a child I'll take You at Your word, as these mountains of doubt they fade away, I'm longing to trust and love You more. So for me this is beautiful - a brand new thought and a brand new world, can I stay here forever here with You? :)
With all the terrible results coming back (I really mean it when I say terrible), it's been so difficult to feel anything but disappointment, anxiety and stress. But God has been faithful. Reading Max Lucado's Fearless now, and it has everything to do with not fearing. So today, I dug up my daily devotion notes and extracted all the verses about not fearing and whatnot. Honestly, reading and rereading them fills me with such a deep sense of peace that it's safe to say I'm feeling much better now. Perhaps you're going through a situation similar to mine, so here are the verses/passages that I hope will bring you as much comfort as it did bring me :)
That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Matthew 6:25-34 (NLT)
Whether you have enough. We always worry that we don't have enough - money, food, clothings, credentials, intelligence... but look at the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field. If God takes care of them, how much more will He take care of you?
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27 (NKJV)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18 (NKJV)
But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Matthew 8:26 (NKJV)
Taken from the passage where Jesus was sleeping soundly in the boat while His disciples were battling against a seismic storm. They were so scared that they woke Him up and demanded Him to do something, and this was His response. I can only imagine what was running through His disciples' heads: what kind of man is this that even nature would listen to it? Indeed, we serve a great God.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 12:34 (ESV)
Mhmm so there isn't a point in worrying about material things because you know that ultimately, death is the equalizer of the rich and poor, the haves and have-nots. So build your treasure where it will amount to something.
Lamentations 3:1-36 (The Message)
A little lengthy but worth the read. Jeremiah starts off on this whole rant about God apparently forsaking him but I love how he somehow realizes from v21 onwards: But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God's loyal love couldn't have run out, His merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great Your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left. So taking some advice from Jeremiah, When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst. Beautiful. Just the words I needed.
And yes, our all-time trusty Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV).
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
I want to be careless in the care of God (Matthew 6:26, The Message). Teach me.
Like a child I'll take You at Your word, as these mountains of doubt they fade away, I'm longing to trust and love You more. So for me this is beautiful - a brand new thought and a brand new world, can I stay here forever here with You? :)