Quote from Forum Archives on April 18, 2002, 8:13 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Today's message comes from the weekly message sent out by my friend
and prayer partner, Larry Davies. In today's message, Larry takes a
look at worrying. In the message, Larry writes about worrying, and
confesses that he worries a lot. Even so, I have a feeling that Larry
does not allow worry to consume him (or if he has done so, he is in
the midst of a transformation)! 🙂

What about me? Do I worry, or did I ever worry? Well, during my
life, I have to confess that I have often not been very well in touch
with either my feelings or the effects that they can have on others
around me, or even on my own body.

This past winter I underwent a couple of tests to determine the extent
of some gastro intestinal problems that I've been having. During the
early phases of the testing, it was determined that, at one time, it
looked like I had an ulcer, for there was scar tissue that appeared to
be from a healed ulcer!

What could that possibly mean? Well, from a spiritual perspective, it
means that at one time I was consumed by my worries, to the point
that they had a rather serious physical effect on my body. But it
also means that I found healing from those very things.

Now I don't mean to imply that I never have worries - right now, in
fact, I have PLENTY of daily concerns. I have no consistent source of
income, the savings that I had been accumulating for retirement are
being used to live on and they are rapidly running out, my wife has
had a bad wrist all winter - carpal tunnel left wrist compounded by a
fractured wrist from a bad fall on the winter ice - she had been in a
cast for a while, is now in a removable brace, and still faces carpal
tunnel surgery, which leaves daddy as Mister Mom - while I grapple
with figuring out how to sustain our household. Yeah, I still have
concerns!

But there is one thing that is different from the "days of my life" up
until about 1995: though I have long known Christ, I've learned to
trust Him more, find peace in Him and my hope in Him. Even after
that, I still tended to leap ahead, trying to guess God's next move
for me.

The reality is that I have no clue where God is taking me in my life.
Some have suggested that I consider full time ministry of some sort.
(I would be open to that, but I need to hear that call from God, not
just from a few people). I AM willing to go anywhere for God and do
anything He wants me to do, and I'm through with telling Him my plans
- I want to fit in with His plans!

So what do I do with worries? Well, today, I'd be a liar if I claimed
I did not fret, at least some. But as soon as I realize that I am
fretting, worrying, or trying to go my own way, I pause and earnestly
ask God what He wants me to do.

I don't know the answer to what kind of professional work that might
be. But I DO know WHO I'll be working for - regardless of who pays my
paycheck - I'll be working for God!

My friend Paul took two short term missions trips this year. He met
some young men who did not look at all to him (at first) like people
who do missions work. If anything, they looked more like people who
needed to be ministered to. When asked who they worked for, both
young men claimed, "I work for God!" That statement surprised a few
people, including my friend - at first - until he saw that these men
read the Word well into the night while others sleeped, welcomed
children into their laps (does THAT remind you of anyone) and
generally they were radical men who genuinely loved God.

I've been a software engineer all of my professional life. Not long
ago I completed a graduate degree to improve my software engineering
skills. In some ways, that is still my professional interest. But no
matter where I find a job, whether in my industry or somewhere TOTALLY
different, I want my life to be marked by that theme: "I work for
God!"

Knowing I have the BEST employer in all of Creation, some way, some
how, I know, whether I remain a software engineer or do something
different, my work and my life is forever devoted to God. My personal
prayer is that I will never, ever forget that! Today, that's the only
thing I REALLY worry about! The rest will eventually work itself out
- in spite of me, and for His Honor and Glory!

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Sowing Seeds Ministry fourth annual writing contest is an excellent
opportunity to flex those writing muscles. Four categories this year:
Devotion, Poetry, Sermon and now Prayer. For more information click
here: www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/writing.htm

Obadiah Magazine is a Christian print publication targeted to
Christian readers of all ages but read primarily by Christians ages
25-50 who want to live their lives to love and serve the Lord,
published by Obadiah Press, www.obadiahpress.com. The mission
of Obadiah Press/Obadiah Magazine is simple: It is our desire to echo
the message of God's Word throughout every publication-in every
sentence-in every word. We are a non-denominational magazine committed
to uniting Christians. Obadiah Magazine is published quarterly in
Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Obadiah Press has published two
books this year: Running As Fast As I Can by Lois Hilton Spoon and
When A Woman Prays by Tina L. Miller.

Sowing Seeds of Faith..

"Worry, Trust & An Empty Chair" Larry Davies

Worry is like a rocking chair... "it will give you something to do,
but get you nowhere." Worry is like a disease.. "it infects everyone
yet no one seeks a cure." Most people wear their worry like a badge
of honor... with pride. But worry is a sin dangerous enough to ruin
our physical and spiritual vitality and drain our lives of hope and
joy. Yet, knowing all that, I still worry... a lot!

* I worry about my grown children.
* I worry if I'm being a good husband.
* I worry about my job and the church I serve.
* I worry over my friends and family.
* I even worry about my faith... isn't that silly?

There is a story about a farmer meeting the angel, "Death" on the
road. "Death said, "I'm going to kill ten thousand people tomorrow."
Recoiling at the horror, the farmer decided to spend the rest of the
day warning everyone about the coming catastrophe. As death passed by
again, the frustrated farmer asked, "You were going to kill ten
thousand people, yet seventy thousand died. Why?" Death replied, "I
killed only ten thousand. Worry killed the others!" Ouch, that hurts!

Can we really stop worrying? Probably not but we can learn to replace
worry with trust.

We learn about "trust" from the Bible starting with the book of
Proverbs. Imagine a wise parent giving advice to a teenager and you
begin to understand the message of this wonderful book. "Trust in the
Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own
understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your
paths." (3:5-6)

There are three commands and a promise:
1. If you learn to... Trust in the Lord with all your heart?
2. If you practice... Do not depend on your own understanding?
3. If you are careful to... Seek his will in all you do?
4. Then, God's promise is to... direct your paths.

Trust is Godss antidote for worry. The more we trust... the less we
worry but how? Somehow, we stop depending on ourselves and learn to
seek God's will. We spend more time on our knees in prayer. A friend
once told me: "Larry, rather than worry all night, wouldn't it be
smarter to pray half the night and then sleep comfortably until
morning?" Sound advice... maybe I should follow it.

* Replacing worry with trust enables me to pray for my children but
allows them to grow up.

* Replacing worry with trust gives me the ability to enjoy and
appreciate my wife.

* Replacing worry with trust permits me to work hard and leave the
results to God.

* Replacing worry with trust helps me relax and truly value my friends
and family.

* Replacing worry with trust strengthens my faith in the God who
always loves me.

During a routine visit with an elderly member of the church, a
minister noticed an empty chair by the bed and asked about it. The
old man replied, "I had a difficult time learning to pray. A friend
suggested I place an empty chair in front of me and picture Jesus
Christ sitting and having a conversation with me like an old and
trusted friend. That chair has been with me ever since."

A few days later, the daughter called to tell the pastor that her
father was dead. "I was only out of the room for a minute. When I
returned, he was gone. There was no change in him except that I
noticed his hand resting on the chair... the empty chair."

It's been said that ulcers are caused not by what you eat, but by what
is eating you! Are you being eaten alive by worries? Maybe you need
to replace your rocking chair of human worries with an empty chair of
heavenly trust. When is the last time you had a conversation with
Jesus? All it takes is a commitment to pray. Let?s face it: a little
bit of prayer sure beats a lot of worry.

If you like this devotion you will love the book: "Breaking the Peanut
Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe for a Better Life" now on sale
only through this website. Click here for more information:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm

Join our prayer ministry by clicking here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world--like a city on a mountain,
glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a
basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all." (Matthew
5:14-15)

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--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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