In the midst of the legitimate concerns of life, we need not quiver with fear. God will sustain us by His power. When we feel vulnerable, we become distracted by our concerns. God can sustain us during those worrisome times, not by promising that nothing bad will happen, but by reminding us that we were made to trust Him above all else. In a broken world, we have no guarantees except that God can be trusted, and that He wants us to draw on the depths of His love and grace in every circumstance that He gives or allows. We too can use worry as an opportunity to say, “Therefore we will not fear” (Psalm 46:2).
~ from Overcoming Worry, by David Egner
I was greatly encouraged by reading a section from Overcoming Worry – Turning Fear into Faith last night. I felt very burdened at the time, and God prompted me to pick up this little booklet and to meditate on what it said.
The section that I read referred to Matthew 6:25-34, so I wanted to share that with you as well. Wow–did it ever challenge me to trust that God will take care of me, and that I do not need to worry!
“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.
So the next time we are tempted to worry, let’s use worry as an opportunity to trust that God is in control and that He has our best interests at heart! ❤
Have you ever wondered about the meanings of the beautiful names for Jesus mentioned in the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 in Scripture? I have! And I wanted to do a little research on them. Here is an excerpt from an article that I found, entitled “Prince of Peace,” posted on December 21, 2009, updated on March 17, 2013 by Skip Moen. Enjoy! 🙂
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6
Prince of Peace – The last title in Isaiah’s name for the child is the most startling of them all. Today, we are so used to the “Prince of Peace” appellation for the Messiah that we no longer see how out-of-place this translation really is. We don’t realize that the Hebrew word sar (in sar-shalom) is almost always a designation for a vassal king or a subordinate authority. Isaiah does not want us to make this mistake. In fact, this is the only place in all Scripture where the combination sar-shalom is used. That should tell us to be very careful about how we translate this title. It is not to be translated in the usual way. This child is not a subordinate or lesser official in the Kingdom, as are all the rest of thesarim in the Old Testament. When Isaiah coins the title, sar-shalom, he is not thinking of Yeshua as a subordinate god. Isaiah is thinking of the further purpose of the Messiah, and that further purpose is not just about “peace” or about who has authority over peace.
How do we know that Isaiah doesn’t think of sar in the typically Hebrew way? Because Isaiah has already given us two other titles that can only be ascribed to God Himself, el-gibbor and abi-ad. The same child who is “mighty God” and “eternal Father” is also sar-shalom. So, “prince” cannot be correct. Some other translation is required.
To determine what sar means, we must think about the word shalom. Of course, shalom does mean “peace,” and the alliteration “Prince of Peace” has a pleasant sound. But “peace” is far too limited an understanding of shalom. Shalomis a word that really means well-being in all aspects of life; physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. When one Jew greeted another with the word “Shalom,” it need not mean, “Have a nice day.” It meant, “May all that you need for your well-being today come to you this day.” That’s shalom. This child is the official in charge of all shalom. This child is the “well-being authority.” If you really want shalom, then you must come to him, for he is the one divinely ordained to give it.
Of course, this means that Yeshua grants peace with God. But that is not the limit of His authority. All that is necessary for men to find well-being is under His care. When Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing,” He meant it. No effort toward well-being is accomplished without the expressed authority of Jesus, even if no one ever acknowledges His power over this effort. All that I need for a life well-lived is to be found in Him.
No, “Prince of peace” is not enough. His authority is much bigger than that. John tells us that His authority extends to all creation; that everything came into being through Him. This is no subordinate ruler. This is no prince. This is the King of glory, the absolute monarch of the ages, the Alpha and Omega of all that is. This child is Pele-yoez-El-gibbor-Abi-ad-Sar-Shalom. Quake before Him! Kneel in submission!
And then remember this: Amazingly, He loves you. Now you can rejoice!
“Offering,” (Christmas version)
Over the skies of Bethlehem appeared a star While angels sang to lowly shepherds Three wisemen seeking truth, they traveled from afar Hoping to find the Child from Heaven falling on their knees They bow before the humble Prince of peace
We bring an offering of worship to our King No one on earth deserves the praises that we sing Jesus, may You receive the honor that You’re due O Lord, I bring an offering to You
The sun cannot compare to the glory of Your love There is no shadow in Your presence No mortal man would dare to stand before Your throne Before the Holy One of Heaven, it’s only by Your blood It’s only through Your mercy, Lord I come
I bring an offering of worship to my King No one on earth deserves the praises that I sing Jesus, may You receive the honor that You’re due O Lord, I bring an offering to You
I bring an offering of worship to my King No one on earth deserves the praises that I sing Jesus, may You receive the honor that You’re due O Lord, I bring an offering to You
We bring an offering to You We are an offering to You An offering of praise we sing An offering to You
We are an offering to You, Jesus An offering of praise we sing An offering to You We are an offering, oh Lord
We are an offering of worship to our King No one on earth deserves the praises that we sing Jesus, may You receive the honor that You’re due O Lord, we bring an offering to You O Lord, we bring an offering
Offering to You We bring an offering to You We are an offering to You
Knees to the Earth 