Worry and Its Remedy. Anger and the News.

 

Photo by Marc Ryckaert   https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:MJJR

Anyone can copy any of my posts for any reason. 

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.    Philippians 4:6,7

I can’t count the number of times this verse has come to my mind when I am upset or worried. I say it to myself and immediately feel relief. God leaves nothing out of this verse. We are to worry about nothing.

I was listening to a podcast where the woman quoted this verse and then asked, “How do we do this? She says the remedy to worry, after giving it to God, is in the next two verses:

“Finally, Brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.” Verses 8,9

I know that when I listen to Christian podcasts or music that this is hearing and thinking on good things. I am so happy to hear of the good things God’s people are doing in the world. It encourages me. And songs of praise lift me up to the skies where God abides. These things bring me joy.

But we don't have to bury our heads in the sand about bad things that are going on. we all know, reading the news is discouraging. Yesterday, I read there will be supply shortages due to the cargo ship blocking all traffic in the Suez Canal. The article said that toilet paper (Lol) might become scarce, along with other goods. I live in Canada and all our toilet paper is made in China.

I no longer get mad about politics. There is nothing I can do about that and the craziness that is going on. But I still get mad when I read how all our supplies come from China or some other country. Global Trade and the Global Economy has ruined the lives of millions of people, at least that is my opinion.

I live in an area that is chock full of apple orchards. We have an apple juice factory here. But when I buy apples at the grocery store, I see a tag saying, “Washington Apples.” I live just over the border from Washington State. So, we buy their apples and they buy ours.

How is that good for the people of our country? I have to pay $1.84 per apple. Why? Transportation costs, I would guess. Why do we do this little dance? I have no idea except to say that everything is about making more money for companies.

They say, “We can’t take in refugees. There are no jobs. Well, why are there no jobs? Global Trade. If we had lots of factories we could take in thousands of refugees. The poor here, who can’t find a job because of lack of education, could work in a factory.

We have all been screwed by the rich and powerful and this is something that has happened since the beginning of time. Read the Old Testament. God speaks of it often.

Yep, this is a subject that infuriates me and I need to pray about that because anger is an ok emotion if you can remedy a situation, but if there is nothing you can do, you might as well let it go. I did write the government about it and that is my part. I could protest about it in the streets, but I’m old and sick.

So yes, I need to lay all this aside, all the bad news, all the hatred, all the racism, all the politics and lay it all before God and do what I can do, and what I do is write. Write about God’s love and write about Man’s hate and greed and hope it makes a difference.

A Neighbor's Corona Virus Story.

“Therefore, my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.”  Psalm 143:4


The verse above is from a prayer by David.


Today, a “Therefore, my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.”  Psalm 143:4


The verse above is from a prayer by David.


Today, a neighbor talked with me while I was getting my mail. We were careful, standing at least 15 feet apart. She poured out her heart to me about her mother-in-law, who has all the symptoms of Corona Virus and nothing is being done for her. They aren’t allowed to take her to the hospital, even though there are empty beds. She is suffering at her home, all alone. She is quarantined and in pain, gasping and trying to get her breath. She is 83. The hospital told her family, “It isn’t time yet.” My friend told her mother-in-law to dial 911 (which they did once already and no one came), when she felt she was dying so someone would come get her body.


I think hospitals are doing this because they have run out of tests for the virus, nurses are becoming infected and she is 83 years old. I can’t think of any other reason they would not even try to relieve her suffering. I see statistics on the news that the curve is flattening here in Canada. Well, that makes sense since they aren’t taking tests and are leaving people to fend for themselves and die alone.  I felt so sad for this family.


My sister and I talk about the virus every day. She lives in Washington State and I live in BC, Canada. We think she has had the virus already. She was very sick a week ago, but is back to feeling awful instead of horrible. She has a lot of health problems and never feels normal.


She and I are both negative people. We have always thought the worst would probably happen to us and people we love. We are “catastrophic thinkers.” Each event, we take to the nth degree of disaster. We don’t want any surprises. This has made life extra hard for us, but we have both been working on turning to God with these thoughts. Believe me, he comes through, big-time.


You know how a person gets into that kind of thinking? My sister was threatened by a family member a few times by waking up with a sharp knife at her throat. I was abused by my father. If your life is threatened by someone close to you when you are a little child, you never feel safe again. 


But this is where faith in God comes in. Not that we think God won’t let us get the virus and die, no, we just trust him to know what is best. If God doesn’t want you to die, you won’t. And if you are dying, he will be with you. This gives me peace. I wrote about this recently, but I feel I should share this again.


Also, there is hope for new medicine and a vaccine. I just read last night a university in Canada has experimented and found a drug that seems to help people get better from the virus. That made me so happy. I hope they will start using it on patients soon.


The prayer of David, at the beginning of my post goes on to say:

I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all Your works;

I consider the work of Your hands.

I stretch out my hands to You;

my soul thirsts for You like a parched land.

Answer me quickly, O LORD;

my spirit fails.

Do not hide Your face from me,

or I will be like those who descend to the Pit.

Let me hear Your loving devotion in the morning,

for I have put my trust in You.

Teach me the way I should walk,

for to You I lift up my soul.

Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD;

I flee to You for refuge.

Teach me to do Your will,

for You are my God.

May Your good Spirit lead me

on level ground.

This is a good prayer for this time in history. When we feel our spirit faint within us, consider the works of Jesus, stretch out your hands to him. Put your trust in him. Ask him to teach you how to live. Then rest in his love.

“Do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be afraid, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you; I will surely help you;

I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.”

Isaiah 41:10

Let Go and Let God.

My grandson's dog, Echo.

“Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10

I’ve read this verse many times, but I found out something I didn’t know before. A person who knows the Hebrew language said that “Be still…” means, “Loosen your grip. Let go.”

He said, “know that I am God,” means, “Experience God.”

Both interpretations are lovely, but I think “loosen your grip,” gives us a lot more to think about. What do we hold onto that we should let go? I think it means let go of your worries, sadness and perhaps your plans. You can do that by experiencing close friendship with God. When we know him better and better each day, we will learn how to trust him. We can then have a mind that is quieted by God.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6,7

I’ve thought a lot about how peace guards our hearts. When you are full of peace, the daily irritations, and even big disappointments don’t bother you as much.

I’ve been ill lately because my mother, whom I take care of, wasn’t sleeping well. So, for a couple of weeks I didn’t get enough sleep. Then two of my teeth were pulled and I had a headache for a week. Lack of sleep and pain made me feel really sad. Did I have peace of mind? I think so, but I will say sadness was in my heart. I’ve learned to give my sad feelings to God and I asked him to help me care for my mother. He helped me each day.

I tell you this because of course there are things that happen that will make us sad. Sometimes we can feel sad for a very long time. Jesus felt sadness, so it is not a sin to feel that way. But I wanted his comfort, wanted to feel his arms around me. He did comfort me as I prayed, and I’m thankful.

There has been a lot of talk in Christian circles on how to go through grief and yet have joy at the same time. Jesus did that too. He grieved for his people Israel, yet because of the “joy that was ahead, he endured the cross, despising the shame of it.”

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:2,3

Feeling very sad and yet having joy about Jesus and one day being with him forever is a paradox, I guess. It is hard to wrap my mind around, but I am going to keep trying. I do know one thing, sadness alone leads to despair and God doesn’t want us to go there.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 43:5

What About the Wicked?

Slave traders.

The following is Psalm 37 in my own words. This Psalm compares the wicked with the followers of God. I rarely ever write about the evil people of the world, but after copying out this Psalm, I felt I should share it. There is so much written about what the wicked do that is wrong, all through the Bible. It is to warn us not to be like them.


Notice the Psalm says nothing about burning in hell forever. No, it says the wicked will become like smoke. They will vanish and you won’t see them. Some people want to believe all will be saved. I understand that because I feel sorry for those who will be lost. But sometimes, when I read the news about sex traffickers, or watch a movie and there is a really awful, bad person in it, I want them to be dead. I want them to be dead because all they do is hurt people. Have you ever known someone like that? I have known a few, and when they died, I thought, “Well, they can’t hurt anyone any longer.”


Notice also the verse that says God will give you the desires of your heart. I believe this is true, if our desires are good. I asked myself what my greatest desire is and it is to see my children believe in God and be saved. I can see that now and am content. I thought back on what my greatest desire was as a child. It was to have children. Yes, God has given me my greatest desires.


Here is the Psalm:


“Do not worry and fret about evil people in this world. Do not be envious of those who do wrong and profit from their deeds. Like the grass and plants, they will soon die away. 


Trust in the Lord and do good. Live your life, and take pleasure in knowing the Lord; he will give you the desires of your heart. Give your life to the Lord and trust him. Your reward from him will shine like the rising sun.


Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret about the wicked who succeed in their plans and carry out their evil schemes.


Bridle your anger; do not fret, for it only leads to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit heaven.

In a little while, evil men will be no more; you may look for them, but they will  not be found. But the meek will inherit heaven and enjoy peace.


The wicked plot against good men. But the Lord knows their day is coming. They kill the poor and needy, but in the end, they will die by their own weapons.


It is better to have little in this world than have the wealth earned by wickedness. For the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord holds up the righteous.

The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care; their inheritance will last forever. In times of disaster and famine, they will prosper.


But the wicked will perish; they borrow but do not repay; they will be consumed and will go up like smoke.


The great I Am, makes his children’s steps firm. They may stumble, but will not fall, for the Lord holds their hands in his.


I have been young and now I am old, but I have never seen God’s people forsaken by him. They are generous and freely give what they have; their children will also be a blessing to the world.


Oh, turn from evil and do good! Then you will live forever. For our good Father, I Am, loves those who are just and will never leave them.”

We Must Drink Our Cup.

Photo by:  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Pegasusleaders&action=edit&redlink=1

“The LORD is my inheritance and my cup; you support my lot.”   Psalm 16:5

When I read this, I wondered what inheritance and cup might mean in a spiritual sense. After looking up some Bible commentaries on Bible Hub, I could see how significant and wonderful these words are. 

An inheritance is of course, what you receive from your father or mother when they die. The Bible tells us God himself is our inheritance. Through the death of Jesus, we can become one with the trinity. As Jesus said, “I in you and you in me.” 
   

"The LORD is my portion (inheritance)," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him."   Lamentations 3:24

As for the cup, it is an important image strewn throughout the Bible. Jesus used it when talking about his coming death.

Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”   John 18:11

This expresses both the feelings which struggled in the Lord's breast during the Agony in the garden—aversion to the cup viewed in itself, but, in the light of the Father's will, perfect preparedness to drink it.   Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

A cup is also a symbol of the lives of the wicked.

For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.   Psalm 75:8

The reader will observe, that this expression, the portion of their cup, is a proverbial phrase in Scripture: God’s gifts and dispensations, whether pleasing or painful, consolatory or afflictive, especially the latter, being ordinarily expressed by a cup, poured out and given men to drink.   Benson 
Commentary

Jesus used the cup to represent the lives of the cruel priests of his time.

"Now then," said the Lord, "you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.   Matthew 23:26

The cup is, “…a synonym for “condition in life.”   Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

“The condition in life.” In other words, what happens when we are alive on earth; what illnesses we will contract, what family we are born in, how we look, our genetics, our strengths and weaknesses. Our “lot in life” so to speak. 

How many of us hate our “cup?” How many hate what happened to us in our childhood when we were weak and vulnerable? How many hate their jobs, their spouses or their struggles? How many resent the “cup?”

I started hating my life when I was in my mid-forties. I felt cursed, foolish, a joke, embarrassed by my mental illness and unloved by everyone. I was angry at God for my life; angry he let terrible things happen to me and others; angry at what I saw as his injustice. I was terrified what the future held for me.

I have written before how God, “drew me out of the mire and muck;” how he has filled my life with happiness, so I won’t repeat that here. What I want to tell you is how fast I can descend back into my old way of thinking and not trusting God about my “cup.”

I got up one morning this week, and as I stood in front of the microwave to heat my coffee, I couldn’t remember how to work it. I stared at the buttons and drew a blank. It finally came back to me and I heated the coffee, but now I was frightened. I’m 69, so I know it is possible for me to have dementia or alzhiemer’s disease. 

To me, I would rather die than have those two things happen to me. My sister and I have talked about this subject and we agreed how horrible it would be and how we don’t want people taking care of us, even family members. My sister said she would kill herself. Stupidly, I said the same thing, knowing God wouldn’t like it.

I talked with God that morning, pleading with him not to let me get that way. (My old style of praying.) Instead of leaving it with him, I began to think of ways to handle this, none of them good. I knew what I should do. Accept whatever came into my life. It took awhile. Then I told God I would accept anything that happened in the future. If it happened, then fine. Maybe he could use me even in that mental condition. Trust is the real issue. Do I trust God? I want to, and I pray I will for the rest of my life on this crazy planet. There is a good reason Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow.

Here are some more verses on the “cup” we are to drink. We have Jesus as our example on accepting the cup of our life.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.   Psalm 23:5

I will lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.  Psalm 116:13

My Peace I Give to You.

My own photo taken in Kelowna, BC.
I write this as a person who has wanted peace of mind most of my life. When I read about peace in the Bible I thought, “Once I have it I will feel nothing but peace always.” I couldn’t understand why the peace I would have in my mind would fade away. But I think I get it now. Each day, when we give our lives to God anew we can ask for peace. And when a problem or heartache comes, we can turn to God and ask for peace of mind in the situation and he will give it. We may have to ask him time and time again, when fearful thoughts come into our minds as we go through our days.

Our minds are full of thousands of thoughts each day. Some are from God, some from Satan and some from ourselves. If the thoughts we have are disturbing our peace we must fight against them by prayer. We can ask God to fight against these thoughts by his power and he will. Here is what I found on Bible Hub about peace:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." John 14:27

Ellicots Commentary for English Readers:

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you."—The immediate context speaks of His (Jesus) departure from them (his disciples). (John 14:25; John 14:28

He will leave them as a legacy the gift of “peace.” And this peace is more than a meaningless sound or even than a true wish. He repeats it with the emphatic “My,” and speaks of it as an actual possession which He imparts to them. “Peace on earth” was the angels’ message when they announced His birth; “peace to you” was His own greeting when He returned victorious from the grave. “He is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14), and this peace is the farewell gift to the disciples from whom He is now departing.

Christ's gift of peace does not dispense with the necessity for our own effort after tranquillity. There is very much in the outer world and within ourselves that will surge up and seek to shake our repose; and we have to coerce and keep down the temptations to anxiety, to undue agitation of desire, to tumults of sorrow, to cowardly fears of the unknown future. All these will continue, even though we have Christ's peace in our hearts. And it is for us to see to it that we treasure the peace.

It is useless to tell a man, "Do not be troubled and do not be afraid," unless he first has Christ's peace as his. Is that peace yours because Jesus Christ is yours? If so, then there is no reason for your being troubled or dreading any future. If it is not, you are mad not to be troubled, and you are insane if you are not afraid.

Your imperfect possession of this peace is all your own fault. Conclusion: I went once to the side of a little Highland loch, on a calm autumn day, when all the winds were still, and every birch tree stood unmoved, and every twig reflected on the steadfast mirror, into the depths of which Heaven's own blue seemed to have found its way. That is what our hearts may be, if we let Christ put His guarding hand round them to keep the storms off, and have Him within us for our rest. But the man that does not trust Jesus is like the troubled sea which cannot rest.

A. Maclaren, D. D. writes:

Peace with the outer world. It is not external calamities, but the resistance of the will to these, that makes the disturbances of life. Submission is peace, and when a man with Christ in his heart can say what Christ did, "Not My will, but Thine, be done," then some faint beginnings, at least, of tranquillity come to the most agitated and buffeted.

What Can We Do About Worry and Sadness About Our Families?

I know I have written on this subject before. The reason is that worry and sadness are the biggest obstacles in my life. But I notice other people also struggle with this so I guess I'll keep writing about it.

One of my granddaughters has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She has had this since she was four years old. Her life has been full of fears and sadness because of this disease. She started to get better when she turned 13. Her fears were slowly ebbing away and we were all rejoicing.

She is now 20 years old and has done very well. She finished her grade 12 from an online school. She had a job in the last city the family lived in and did very well. Now they have moved to a new city. She got a job at The Body Shop. After she was hired and had worked a few days, they told her there was a quota on how much she must sell each day - $650. Well, she had already been selling that much, but the pressure of the quota and the 3 times monthly that they reviewed her work was too much for her so she quit. Apparently, her boss said no one is ever told they are meeting expectations. Everyone is told they are working below expectations so they will work harder, but it was too much for my granddaughter. She needed encouragement – not discouragement.

The Body Shop may be nice to animals, but humans are a different story.

So, she is having a set-back in her illness. She doesn’t know if she wants to try to work again. We are all feeling worried and sad for her.

This morning, as I talked with God, I said to him, “I know we are not supposed to worry or feel discouraged. But it is so hard not to feel that way.”

Then Mom and I turned on Joyce Meyer, who was speaking on trusting in God.  She used the Scripture, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”  2 Chronicles 20:12

“We don’t know what to do.” Yes, that is when fear, worry and sadness come upon us.

What can I do for my granddaughter? Nothing but be her friend.

What can God do for my granddaughter? Anything and everything.

That’s why our eyes should look towards God. He gives us hope. The hope is in how strong and wise he is. The hope is in how the Bible shows God brings good out of evil. The hope is in believing he hears our prayers and is working for us and for those we love.

“…hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and steadfast.  Hebrews 6: 18,19

Psalms 42 and 43 are great songs of hope. “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--my Savior and my God!”  Psalm 43:5 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:13

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  Philippians 4:6

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  1 Peter 5:7

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”  Proverbs 3:5

A Perfect Day.

My granddaughter, Hope.

A wonderful thing happened. I couldn't sleep one night, for various reasons, and I was still awake at 9:00am. Usually, when this happens I get in a panic. I think, "Oh no. I'm going to feel horrible until I fall asleep. This is wrecking my schedule. What am I going to do?"

Then I remembered the verse, "Don't worry about anything." This verse has been helping me in my life more and more. I said to God, "Well, you said, "anything," so that means everything. I will not worry about getting enough sleep."

I had the best day! The best day I've had for years! This not worrying business is fantastic!

Not only did I feel like I'd slept all night, I felt even better than that. My fibromyalgia didn't bother me; I had lots of energy and felt full of joy. I cooked, looked after my mother and had time to do some woodwork. A miracle.

Joyce Meyer helped me in this area also. She says, "Believe God is working." Believe. I always had trouble with that because I didn't know how to believe or what to believe. I knew I couldn't do it by trying hard. But Joyce made it so simple. Don't believe you know what God is going to do; just believe he is working in your best interests. That I can do, and it leads to peace.

Good Day/Bad Day

Last night, as I lay in bed, I said to God, "Thanks for such a great day." Then I stopped. It hadn't actually been a great day as far as events in my life. Some truly negative things were going on in my family and that day had been especially stressful. But as the day wound down, I didn't feel the stress in my heart like I used to. I didn't feel like crying. What a difference! All because I finally understand God loves me just as I am and I love him, so every day is wonderful because it is a day with him.

I have this thing called Joy in my heart now. I used to read about it and want it but I never found it until recently. I couldn't understand how anyone could feel joyful in this horrible world or joyful when they, or someone they loved, were suffering. I finally know. It only took me 45 years! Lol  Well, I had a lot to get over and a lot to learn.

It feels weird not to be worried about family members who are sick. I almost feel like that is betraying them. How dare I have a good day when they are suffering! How dare I have a moment's happiness when they are sad! I actually feel guilty. But, as Joyce Meyers says, we cannot let our feelings rule us. We must live by the word of God and what is right and wrong. It is wrong to worry and I ain't gonna do it any more.

Peace. That's what you get when you don't worry. I used to want that too and now I have it. Peace with God. Resting in his love. It is so wonderful.

This isn't to say I won't ever cry again or feel awful, no, but it won't be my default button any more.

Are You Free?

I am reading a book called, "Eugenia Price Trilogy," and it is a wonderful book.  Her enthusiasm for God is overflowing and infectious. I was reading a chapter called, "Are You Free?" when I came upon this quote.

"What are some of the things which rob Christians of their freedom? Surely, as we mention elsewhere in this book, worry is one of our most constant jailers! I believe that during the time we are worrying, we are actually atheistic. Either we believe Jesus Christ or we do not. He said, "I have overcome the world." Did he? Or is he playing a fiendish cosmic prank on us?

"I have, for a year or more, permitted myself the luxury of worry for five minutes at a time and no more, At the end of five minutes, if I am still worried, I go to the nearest mirror, look myself right in the eye and say, "This tremendous thing which worries you is beyond solution. Especially, it is too hard for Jesus Christ to handle." Usually, I am restraining a laugh by that time, and when I let it go, the tears of gratitude come with the laugh, and I turn my eyes gladly back upon the face of Him who gave me a foolproof  "worry-tree" in his own cross."

I used to be a champion worrier, especially when it came to my children or grandchildren. I would pray for them, and sometimes I could leave them with God for awhile; but sooner or later I would be fretting and worrying once again. The Lord has conquered my worry, but I am still tempted to worry. The thoughts come, but I immediately pray or quote scripture and go on with my day.

Paul wrote, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."  Philippeans 4:6

Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Matthew 6:25-34

A lot of people worry about the state of the world (ISIS) and the state of America. I have learned through the Old Testament that it is wrong to do this. 

"Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land."  Psalm 37:8,9 

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!"  Psalm 37:7

"Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out."  Proverbs 24:19, 20

Even if the foundation of our government is destroyed, we need not worry. 

"When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? But the LORD is in his holy Temple; the LORD still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth."  Psalm 11:3,4

God says that if there is chaos, confusion, war, persecution or death in our lands, we are not to worry because God still rules in the heavens. We must trust him.

I Felt Humiliated.

My 89 yr.old mom is living with us. We love having her here. She has always gotten a daily newspaper since she was married. The paper started coming here, but this is an apartment building and they leave the paper outside the main door. Sometimes it gets stolen.

This morning, when I first woke up, I threw my coat on over my pajamas and went down the elevator to get the paper. I had forgotten my keys so I tried to hold the door open while picking up the paper. Couldn't do it. A young man came running up and held the door for me. I thanked him, then tried to pick up the paper. I kept dropping it. Because of my fibromyalgia it is hard to bend down at all. I kept saying I was sorry (I am Canadian) and told him about the fibromyalgia. He graciously picked up the paper for me and said comforting words.

Back in my bedroom, I sat on the bed feeling embarrassed and a little humiliated. Then I heard God's voice in my heart, "Pray for him."  I did so immediately. I realized then that the reason that all happened is this young man needed someone to pray for him. I felt so happy I could do this for him and for God.

I thought of the verse, "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God..."  I think maybe God can use us better when we are humbled. I just finished reading a book by a woman who was an A-type personality. She felt she had to control everything and the longer she went on that way, the less she could control, her life became a mess and was too much for her.

This woman had a mental breakdown and was humbled by it. She realized she hadn't let go of all the many parts of her life and given them to God for him to control. If we insist on doing it ourself, God will let us. But if we give our life, everyone we love, everything we do and everything we have, to our Father, he can then control it. If we obsess, worry and fret, he may wait until we give up on ourselves.