Faith vs Worry!

For Friday, February 3, 2023:

Matthew 6:26 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?”

There’s a fine line between prudently planning for the future and unnecessarily worrying about it. Jesus simply said to not worry; the Lord will provide. Birds don’t wake up in the morning and worry about food. They just go about their day and always seem to find enough to eat. Note that birds don’t worry, but they do work. They wake up, get out of the nest and search for today’s meal, which God always provides.

As a human, God may offer you a job. You have to do good work resulting in a paycheck which buys groceries at Krogers, and voilà, you have food! See – God is good!

Psalm 23 says that with the Lord as my Shepherd, I shall not want. God looks after his flock’s basic needs. He won’t provide everything we covet, but our necessities are in his hands.

Jesus is advising ‘faith’ rather than ‘worry.’ “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:27)

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Serve Only the Lord!

For Thursday, February 2, 2023:

Matthew 6:24 NLT, Jesus speaking: “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to mammon: money and wealth.”

Taking what Jesus said a step further, you cannot serve God and worship anything else! Pick a side. You can choose to be with the good guys or the evil ones, but you cannot pick both! Jesus says it won’t work that way!

Example: The Lord had introduced himself to the ancient Israelites, yet they persisted in keeping idols to other gods. That was wrong. Jesus says we cannot have it both ways. Scripture tells us that our Creator is a jealous God, and to worship Baal is to despise God. We cannot worship multiple gods without putting them in order, and since the other gods aren’t real, we can dismiss them and place the only one remaining, YHWH, at the #1 position!

Nowadays an idol can be anything that diverts your attention from God. Careers, sports, television, fitness and family taken to excess can become our competing “god.” None of these things are bad in moderation, as long as they’re not contending for the #1 spot on your agenda. What is competing with God for your time, talent and treasure?

Don’t serve your money. Let your money serve the Lord, and it will serve you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Heavenly Treasure!

For Wednesday, February 1, 2023:

Matthew 6:20 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.”

The idea is that earthly treasure is temporary and deteriorating, i.e. moths and rust, whereas an investment in heaven is eternal. Remember the old saying, “You can’t take it with you!” It makes no sense to amass treasure on earth since you won’t be staying! You never see a semi full of earthly possessions following a hearse!

Most people think they’d be set for life with a windfall of twice their annual income. The truth is that that sum seldom last more than a year and a half. And statistically lottery winners aren’t happy. Winnings are wasted, and most winners are bankrupt within five years.

Jesus is counseling us to invest in heaven, where our treasure is safe forever. The good that has been done for the kingdom of God through the use of our assets lasts forever, and the work God does in us through faithful giving will stick with us into the next reality.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be! (Matt. 6:21)

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship