Why worry?

Luke 21

There is so much we can worry about. Watch the news for any length of time and you will certainly have more than enough to worry about. Jesus, as the Prince of Peace, was always working to bring people to a place of peace.

In this first story we see that Jesus is hanging out by the moneybox in the synagogue. He is watching the people with their giving. Many walked by giving their due but then one woman caught his attention. A poor widow walked slowly to the moneybox and gave what was nothing in this culture, the equivalent of five cents today. What can anyone do with five cents? It was not about the amount, but the heart. She gave everything that she had; she gave not caring for her own life but only for the love of God. Jesus made a point of her giving to remind everyone that when you trust God, God notices! Early in this book, Jesus made it very clear to the disciples that if you give all to God, He will bless and meet all of your needs. Want to stop worrying about your finances, job, and/or future? Learn to give!

Nearly everyone is interested in the end times. With the discussion of apocalyptic events regarding 2012 especially, many of those who do not know Christ are discussing the end of days.

Jesus begins to layout what the last days of this earth are going to be like. The end of days is a series of horrible, traumatic events that will literally shake the world and all of those in it. War, pestilence, and famine all over the world are some of the highlights we can look forward too. Please notice what the Lord says about those that are His, who are going through this time of trauma. We will go through some real difficulties but ultimately we are the ones who win every battle, we will change the world. God will give us the ability to have the right words, the strength, and the courage to go through any trial. Lives are depending on us to stand firm and allow the Holy Spirit to live through us.

Whatever you are going through, worrying will not change your world for good. Fear, worry, and anxiety will limit God's influence in your life. You will be enclosed in your own life, your own desires, and then limited by them. When you choose to believe God at His Word, your limitations are only limited to God's limitations. Trusting God completely means you have no limitations. If we believe Him then why worry!

If you are still worrying about the end times, Matthew 24: 14 gives us the sign to look for.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

With today’s technology it could happen in an instant. However, nearly 1/3 of the world’s population still does not have a witness of Christ. Pray for people to share the “Good News”

If you notice both stories are really the same theme, they both are dealing with a matter of trust. Do we trust the Lord with our finances, our struggles, our difficulties and our very lives? It is a daily walk. It is most likely that none of us are there yet. As long as we are growing in our relationship with the Father, we will get there. It is one step at a time.

Tomorrow Luke 21