Do Not Fear or Worry- 8/4/21

Why is it so easy to take our eyes off of God? Either through sin or by sin in the forms of being afraid of things in life. We have some daily challenges but there is no reason to not trust in God because He wants to there for us!

We must not be afraid or have emotions that guard us from really trusting.

I just thought about Peter crossing the ocean during a terrible storm. He sees while he is on a boat out that Jesus is out walking on the water and after he walks on the water himself(!) he looks over at the waves and the horrors happening from the storm and falls into the ocean.

Jesus then has to rescue him.

Should we have to fear because of what we curently see in life?

Here is an extreme example.

In Mark 5 in the NKJV (New King James version) of the bible a man who runs a synagogue comes running up to Jesus knowing He has done miraculous things.

With a daughter who is dying he with desperation tells her to please lay healing hands on her. After Jesus is sidetracked by a different situation (a separate miracle) a man who lives with Jairus the one of the synagogue who lived with him informs him that his daughter has now died and he shouldn’t bother the “Teacher” any further.

Then this verse is as such:

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” Mark 5:36

What troubling news when you go to a man who people say can heal others and the person you are worried about is passed away already.

But Jesus goes to the man’s house with a few of His disciples and then brings the daughter back to life!

That is a wonderful miracle tanks to God and Jesus who glorified His father.

We must never take our eyes off of God just because of things happening in our lives.

One other verse is more minor than the former part of the bible.

There Jesus tells the multitudes many things to follow His father. He spoke of the beatitudes and also things that they can struggle with and tells them about daily issues.

We must not be so bothered about tomorrow that we worry. I have worried about big stuff before but I also knew the truth so I shouldn’t have been so deeply afraid and emotional about it.

But here Jesus talked about being concerned of what to wear or food to take the next day.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34

As I said this one is not as big as the earlier story but it is important to our daily life.

It okay to be concerned about these things but not to be so bothered by it. If we worry to a point we take our eyes off of Jesus and lose trust.

And how can we then seek His way if we are so “afraid” about these little things?

We must live for Him and trust in Him fully. Hopefully people will see our example and will be led to follow Jesus as well.

God, glorify us and may we conform to Your will not our own or fleshly ways. May we learn not to worry or to be afraid and may we keep our eyes on Your ways and realize how much You are in control. Amen.