Do you
worry? Are there things in life that are
going in a direction you don’t like, which concern you? Are there troubles in your life which rob
your sleep? Do you fear for the
future?
In
truth, God tells not to worry. In The Sermon
on the Mount Jesus himself instruct God’s children, saying, “31 So do not
worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we
wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father
knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.” In other words, Jesus teaches
us: Don’t worry – Trust God’s providing love.
Yet, even knowing
the word of God, I confess that I still worry.
There are things that trouble me and which I would like to fix. For example, I worry at times for my
family. I hope the best in faith and
life for my children and grandchildren.
But, we live in a sinful world.
Life has real challenges and temptations. When the lives of those I love takes turns which
possibly endanger their welfare or their faith, I am concerned. Will my children and grandchildren be
ok? What kind of world are my
grandchildren inheriting? Will they remain
strong in their faith in Jesus, show that faith in their lives? Will they pass Jesus’ saving love on to their
children?
I admit that I worry
about my country. Obviously, each generation has a different view on the world
around us. But, when I grew up there was a value placed on individual freedom
for law abiding citizens. We expected integrity from our leaders. While no specific
denomination was pushed, because our constitution says that the government does
not establish religion, nonetheless the country acknowledged the existence and
importance of God. Such witness is made
in our founding documents. So, when I see our country lean toward more
governmental control rather than personal initiative and freedom, that worries
me. When our nation turns from the Lord, turn from his authority to direct our
lives and to give us strength, that concerns me.
In addition, I am
concerned for the Christian Church. There
are challenges from within and from without facing God’s people today,
challenges we have not faced in our lifetime.
God calls His people to be faithful.
But, it seems only too easy today to turn from the truth of God’s
Word. We pray for the blessing of quiet
and peaceful lives so that we can serve God in all we do. But, if you read the news, the world around
us is turning away from the Lord, turning to violence and to the desires of the
flesh. This requires sacrifice from God’s
Church to witness to Jesus’ saving love.
And, even though Jesus sacrificed for us, sacrifice on our part is
always difficult. I am concerned for God’s
Church.
Do you worry? Perhaps it is more important to ask, what do
you do when you worry? In Philippians 4
God inspired Paul to write these words about worry, but also about prayer. “6 Do not
be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.” (Philippians
4:6-7) This practical direction for the
Christian life can be summarized: “Don’t worry – PRAY! Go to God with your concerns. God gives peace in place of your worry.
On Tuesday, June
1, one of the readings in my devotions was from 1 Timothy 2:1-8. Please listen
to God’s word from verses 1-3 with me. “1 I
urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving
be made for everyone-- 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live
peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and
pleases God our Savior” God calls
us to pray for EVERYONE. Yes, we pray
for our leaders. But, we are first
instructed to pray for all people. Prayer
brings God into our lives, into all our concerns and troubles. Prayer helps us to acknowledge that God is
Lord, even and especially in times of concern.
Therefore, please listen to what Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, in a time of trial for the church of his day, wrote in my Tuesday
devotion in response to 1 Timothy 2. “The
Church recognizes itself in prayer as an instrument of His (God’s) will, and
organizes itself accordingly in active obedience. This provides the church with its chief
impulse; the devil fears a roof of thatch
beneath which the church is at prayer more than he does a splendid church in
which many masses are celebrated.” (The Communion of Saints – “For All the
Saints” page 52.) Wow! The devil fears Christians who pray! I believe that.
Do you
worry? Even though we know we should not
worry, even though we know that worry is a form of doubt, we all commit this
sin in our weakness. But, God who loved
us enough to send Jesus to live for us and to die for our sins, this God loves
us each and every day. He listens to and
He answers our prayers. Our Lord hears
our concerns and acts in love and in wisdom.
In fact, prayer is a powerful weapon in our on-going battle with Satan.
I have a long
prayer list, which is constantly changing.
I work to begin each day in Bible reading and in prayer. I take seriously the call of God, “ . . . that requests, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for everyone” I hope
that you also know the gift and blessing of prayer to bring God into your life. And I pray that you give Him your worries and
concerns.
A Child of God, Turning the Concerns of my
Heart Over to The Love and The Power of God,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. St. John will again be hosting the Colony
Days Picnic on Saturday, June 12, preceded by an entry in the Colony Days Parade.
This
even will be different this year because of COVID. We are only serving hot dogs, only serving individual
bags of chips, individual condiments, and individual water. We are aalso serving ice cream. Our music will not be available because of
COVID.
But, we
will be inviting folks at the picnic to join us for worship, and offering to
pray with those who attend. This is an
opportunity for growth as we serve our community and share Jesus’ love. Come and join us in this growth and
service! J
P.P.S. The rumor
is that . . . on the Sunday after the picnic St. John plans outdoor worship!
P.P.P.S. My boat has been in the shop, so I have not
been fishing in the Mat-Su. But, I do keep working on our garden. We
picked volunteer spinach this week, re-seeded from last year’s crop. All my vegetables are now planted. There is still some weeding to do on one
flower garden and on the raspberries, but now it is time to let the Lord give
growth. Here are some new pictures from
this past week. https://photos.app.goo.gl/X34yy15BurAUXPGF8
*****
ABOUT
THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of August 2019 from serving as senior
pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly
devotion previously entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor."
When I retired many asked me to continue writing these devotions. So I have continued writing. However, with life's changes I now call this
weekly devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God."
Since
I am no longer senior pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send
this message to those who asked to receive it. (Though I am now serving
again part-time at St. John as assistant to the pastor.) Perhaps you also know that I “killed” my
computer on November 7, 2020. In so
doing I lost, for a time at least, all my e-mail contacts. So, I was really goofed up. Many who were receiving this devotion each
week were no longer receiving it. I
tried to rebuild my distribution list, but I am not sure how accurate I have been.
So, if you stopped receiving these
devotions and wondered why, now you understand.
And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive
them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution
list. My e-mail address is
jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions
help each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father,
Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus,
St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
cell phone -
907-841-4066
Home phone -
907-746-5131
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