Do Not Worry Series

15. Again, it comes down to a choice; I have to choose who’s in control of my life. If it’s me, then I’ve got a lot to be worried about. But if it’s God, then I’ve got nothing to be worried about. Really the choice here isn’t about whether or not to worry, it’s about whose first in my life. It’s about priorities. It’s about Lordship. Same thing Jesus was teaching us last week.

16. He tells us not to run around worried about everything – he says the pagans – the people who don’t know God do that. But…and this is a very important “but”. I’ve been thinking about writing a book called “Best Buts of the Bible”. It just may be controversial enough to sell copies. So often that coordinating conjunction is so important. It contrasts two opposing thoughts. Here Jesus says DO NOT WORRY, (Matthew 6:33) BUT (instead of worrying) Seek first His Kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.

17. It’s an issue of FIRST. The choice we each have to make is what are we going to put first? If we put ourselves first, our needs and desires first, we end up running around like everybody else, never having enough, worried about how we’re going to pay the bills, how we’re going to eat, how we’re going to make the mortgage and we never have enough time, talent or treasure left over to ever really give anything to God. But if we seek first His k and His r, if God’s first in our lives, He says He’ll take care of the rest.

18. I know that we’re living in tough economic times. And when it comes to money, that’s really where the rubber meets the road. It’s particularly hard to put God first in your finances. Especially when you have needs. To look at your needs, your bills and then look at what you’ve got – there’s usually already a deficit. So to say, OK since I don’t have enough already, I’m going to give to God FIRST, doesn’t really seem to make sense. But it makes a whole lot more sense than we think.

19. 1 Kings 17:12-16. Some of you may remember the time Elijah asked an old widow for food. Tough economic times. And in fact, the widow was actually preparing her last meal for her and her son and then she planned to die. 12 "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die." 13 Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.