~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NOTES FROM THE VALLEY - SEPTEMBER 1, 2000 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me." Psalm 23. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TOPIC: GOD'S FOUNDATION FOR EACH DAY Life is so full of changes and uncertainties. Wouldn't it be great if there were at least a few things we could count on every day? Some constants to set a reliable foundation upon which we could approach each day? Well, Jesus assures us that there are. Unfortunately, not all of them are good: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34 Haven't you found that to be true? In my fifty odd years of living, I've yet to come across a day that didn't have MORE than enough trouble in it to keep us all occupied. Even on the best of days, little nagging things will go wrong. And our response to those troubles is equally consistent. We worry. And we are so terribly good at it. I'm reminded of English class and how we used to conjugate all the various forms of a verb. Well worry is a verb and we've leaned to worry in a way that has all the verb forms covered: Past, present and future tenses; singular and plural; first, second and third person; we do them all. And no matter what form our worrying takes, it is insidiously destructive. Literally billions of dollars are spent every year treating the physical and emotional damage we do to ourselves through our worrying. The list of ailments being attributed to worry, including some forms of cancer and heart disease, grows daily. Despite this growing evidence against worrying and the clear instructions of our Savior to avoid it, we continue to make it one of our constant companions of every day. Why do you suppose that is? Jesus gives us the answer in Matthew 6:30, " . . . O you of little faith . . ." In His instructions against worry (Matthew 6:25-34), Jesus tells us to look at the evidence of the Father's faithfulness in the world around us. Birds that don't plant or harvest, but are fed. Grass that does not labor or spin but is clothed in splendid beauty. Then Jesus asks us this simple but awesome question, "Are you not much more valuable than they?" If we profess to be Christians, then our answer to that question has to be "yes." As Christians, we believe that God set a value on us so high that He sent His only Son into the world to teach us about Himself and then sacrificed that Son on a cross at Calvary to save us from our sins. And if we believe that God values us so highly, how can we doubt that He will provide for ALL our needs? But worry is exactly that - doubt. When I read the Bible, I am constantly amazed by God's patience with us and the way Jesus reflected that patience. At the moment Jesus is speaking in Matthew, Chapter 6, He has already given up everything that was His in heaven and descended to earth where He has been experiencing all the suffering that afflicts us in this physical world. He knows that a cross awaits Him in the not too distant future where He will pay the ultimate and excruciatingly painful price for our sins. Despite all that He has said and done, He continues to be confronted by our unbelief; our inability or unwillingness to see the evidence of the Father that surrounds us daily. It would have been so easy, so understandable, for Him to get mad at us for our failings. But instead, He chooses to remind us of our value. And encourage us with these words, " . . . 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." Yes, trouble is a constant companion of every day just as Jesus said it would be. But worrying about those troubles wasn't the foundation upon which God intended for us to build our days. FAITH in Him was. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does . . . the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:4-5 I am, as always, a work in progress, sheltered under His wings and overwhelmed by His love, Steve Hall P.S. Cathy's Mom, Bea, will undergo her surgery today and we ask your special prayers for her and her doctor. Cathy will be giving the surgeon the following note just prior to the surgery. I share it with you as a guide for your prayers: "Dear Doctor, Bea is our Mom, our Grandmother, our Sister, our Aunt and our dear friend. We are just a few of the many who love her. We are praying for you and her today. We are praying for God to guide your hands as you use the skills He has given you to heal her. And we are praying for her to be strong and at peace as she places herself in God's hands and yours. We believe God answers prayers and today is going to be a wonderful, healing day - for you and Bea. We just thought you'd like to know. The Family and Friends of Bea Ray" THOUGHT FOR THE DAY (Alan Smith, Boone Church of Christ) I heard about a patient in a mental hospital who was holding his ear close to the wall, listening intently. The attendant finally approached. "Shh!" whispered the patient, beckoning him over. The attendant pressed his ear to the wall for a long time. "I can't hear a thing," he said. "I know," replied the patient, "it's been like that all day!" Have you ever worried so much about things going wrong that you begin to worry when everything goes right? Worry probably does more than anything else to keep us from having peace of mind. Psychologists (with nothing better to do) have come up with some statistics about our worries. They say that 40% of the things we worry about never happen, 30% of the things we worry about have already happened (and thus can't be changed), 12% of our worries focus on health concerns, and 10% of our worries are over insignificant things. That means that over 80% of our worries are about things which are unimportant, or that we have absolutely no control over. So, what have you been worrying about lately? "Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NCV) Have a great day ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Send any comments or questions to AlanSmith@.... WORRYING (Kimberly Cook - MornGlories at eGroups) Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (Amplified Bible) Worry....it draws our eyes off God and soon, all we see are the circumstances that surround us and we are overwhelmed. We don't know how to solve the problems we see, and we feel lost and alone. Financial worries are the worst, and worries about family and friends follow closely behind. What can we do when faced with situations that bring fear and worry into our lives? In every circumstance, in everything, we pray. We tell God what we need, what we want, and rest in the assurance that He, as our loving Father, will provide for those needs. And we praise Him for His provision before we even see it, because we know He will provide - maybe not in the way we want Him to provide, but in the way that is best for us. The result of our prayers and thanksgiving is peace. A peace that passes the understanding of the world; a peace that keeps us trusting and calm in the midst of the storm that swells around us. And this peace will mount a guard over our hearts and minds - the amplified bible says it will garrison and mount guard. A garrison is a permanent military installation which defends the ground it is built upon. What a wonderful picture that is! Our hearts are the permanent base of God's peace, and His peace will guard our hearts and minds. Seek God today, in the middle of your worries and stress. Come to Him in prayer with your specific needs, asking for His provision, trusting Him to provide, thanking Him for His goodness and mercy, and He will be there for you! In Jesus' name, Amen WHEN YOU WORRY (Received from PoohsPal83 - Author Unknown) You've been on my mind and heart, I've been praying for you. I see you struggling and planning, worrying and sweating, crying and running at a furious pace. You're trying to move that mountain by yourself again, huh? God asks that we cast all our cares on Him because He cares. Think about what your worrying says to God when you refuse to give things over to Him. When you worry about money, you're telling Him that He is unable to provide for His children. That although He has riches beyond belief in Heaven, He is too stingy to share them with you. When you worry that no one understands you, you're telling Him that although He has been with you since before you were formed in the womb and has carved you into the palm of His hand, He doesn't know you. When you worry that you will not have enough food, you're telling Him although He rained down bread from Heaven in the desert to feed His children, you are the one He's forgotten. When you worry that your enemies will have victory over you, you're telling God that although He has given you spiritual battle gear to defend yourself, that despite His track record of being a giant slayer, Red Sea divider, Lion Mouth closer and a furnace cooler, He can't handle your coworker, your neighbor or a former friend. When you worry and refuse to give the problem over to Him, you're telling Him that although He could create the world, He can't handle what's going on in Your world, so you will. You are saying that He won't work things out, that obstacles cannot be overcome, that mountains can't be climbed, that healing cannot occur, that what is lost will not be found, that joy does not come in the morning, that He is not the God of a second chance, that the Promised Land has been swallowed up by the desert, that you have discovered the height, depth and width of His love and found it to fall short of your needs. Think about what your worrying is saying to the One who loves you the most and who has all power. ________________________________________________ Copyright © 1998-2000 by Stephen J. Hall - Weekly letters of encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless otherwise indicated. Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley are never intended to offend anyone. They're meant only to brighten your day and encourage you along the way. Most of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided to me by subscribers and friends. Credit is given to both the contributor and to the true author, where known. If you are blessed by them, please feel free to make copies and pass them along to others. If you have something you'd like to contribute to a future edition or would like to ask us a question or make a comment, please contact us at: sossteve@... ________________________________________________ Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it! I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are. I'll never quit telling the story of your love - how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world. (Psalm 89:1-3 The Message)