Whether you know or not, I have recently come back from Tijuana. My time at Mexico Caravan Ministries has come to an end and I am back in the states getting ready for school at New Tribes Bible Institute. This blog comes from devotional on Monday. I woke up and opened my Bible to Luke 12 (I'm currently reading through the Gospels) and the title is Warnings and Encouragement. Jesus goes on to warn against worrying about the future, about storing up treasures on earth, and about not living like the Lord is coming back again. The Lord spoke to me specifically by warning me of these very things as I come back to America and the culture and even Christian culture that goes against what Christ stood for.
And so as I'm reading this, I think about school. I don't have a lot of money for school, basically enough to get me there and pay for a few months and I'm reading Jesus' words in verses 22-26, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" I hear God saying this very question to me, "Josh why do you worry about the rest?" The Lord reminded me that I can't add a single hour to my life, I can't support myself thru school, I can't do anything without him. He also reminded me that I am more valuable than anything in this world, and he will provide for me. But I must trust. A brother the other day told me quote, "Being anxious says that we know what's best for us, we don't." I don't know what's best for me, therefore what right do I have to be anxious? "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7. These words from Jesus were an incredible reminder to trust in the Lord. To keep my eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of my faith, because he's got me, and he will provide. A friend once told me that if you trust the Lord with your life, he'll never let you down.
The second thing that spoke to me was to not store up for myself treasures on earth. I just saw a t.v. commercial today that was for life insurance to protect your dreams and ambitions because you need to pursue them. And I'm sitting there thinking, what would Jesus be thinking right now. I feel like this is the type of stuff that he cleared the temples from, this way of thinking that stores up treasures on earth. Jesus in Luke 12 talks about this rich man who had a harvest. He didn't have barns big enough for all the harvest so he says to himself, "I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.'" This is the crap American society feeds us, that this attitude is okay, to store up a bunch of stuff for ourselves and take it easy into retirement. God's response? "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" People who store up things on earth are called fools by God. This was a reminder to me to guard my heart and mind from the world, because what the world's philosophy pumps into our heads is poison.
Prayer Requests:
1. Finances for school and also a job while I'm there to pay for my monthly payments.
2. Faithfulness to the Lord in my time, being wholly devoted to him
3. Meeting on August 11th with my missions pastor, that it would be a fruitful meeting
God pointed out to me a couple of times, one recently, that when I worry and become anxious, it is a form of pride in myself, because I am trusting in my abilities rather than His! Josh, I have seen much more water pass under the bridge than you my friend, and I can assure you, when you let God have the reins a listen and follow His lead, He does provide our needs, most of the time in a much better way than we had in mind. So hold on tight to the Father and it will be an incredible ride most likely.
ReplyDeleteTerry