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ARE YOU LETTING HIM LEAD YOU? MT 6:25-34 PS 23:2
The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can’t go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
I. WHAT DO WE WORRY ABOUT?
How would you respond if a 10-year old boy came up and said to you, "I am worried about my retirement plan?" If a preschooler came to you and said, "I am not sure if I can pass my algebra test when I get into high school." If a child came to you and said, "I sure do not want to be a bad example for my children. How do I prepare to be the type of parent I should be?" Most of us might say to these little ones, "You are too young to be concerned about these big concerns. Be a child as long as you can and do not worry about such things. I do have son named Steven and he was such a child that I believe that he thought about such questions or ones like them as he lived with us. He was very concerned about life.
Now as we talk to adults here, I wonder do we put to much in what we worry about? How many of us have ever had to carry a burlap sack of things and it rubbed on our skin and made it itch or feel very uncomfortable? Many times our concerns are like that burlap sack of which we could say, "What will happen?" or "How will I know?" What will happen if after I go on this diet they find out that lettuce is fattening and chocolate is not? How will I know if when I die that they will give me a proper funeral service and bury me in a nice place? You se these things and others that might be on your mind today are like that burlap sack, Scratchy, hard to handle, irritating to carry and something that stays with you even after you have let go of it. So Jesus tells us here, "I want to lead you."
II. WHAT WORRY COSTS US.
What is the high cost of worry? First of all worry is not a disease. It is the cause of diseases. One man who was only 20 came to a doctor saying he had lost his strength to do the tasks that were easy for him a month ago and that he was losing weight. The doctor did all the medical tests and there were no physical findings for this problem. The doctor talked with the man and found out that his fiancee was dating another man. He had made a good deal a used car but found out that the dealer wanted $200 more than he had asked at first. So the fear of losing both his girl and not getting the car was the reason for his lose of strength and lose of weight. Is that possible? We have found out that worry and not work makes us weary. The reason many do not sleep well is because they take their worries to bed with them. There was lady who brought her 5 year old son who had hives all over him. After talking they found out that it came from an environment that cause him to worry. There was a lady that visited a Dr. with one or both eyes swollen shut and her lips swollen to 3 times their normal size. Her problem was that fear of driving in city traffic and the battle of entertaining many people. Her physical appearance was caused by worry. Asthma can have as its cause worry. We know that high blood pressure is caused by hate but it also comes from worrying. One Dr. prescribed to one that was in bouts with worry was to read the 23rd Psalm 5 times a day. (Taken from "None of these Diseases" S. I. McMillen) It is also said that worry causes heart rouble, blindness, migraine headaches, thyroid and stomach disorders. We can keep at this expensive habit of destruction or decide to see what God has for help for us in His word. Jesus made a statement like this, "There is no way you can add years to your life by worrying about it." Mt 6:27 The word for worry is Merimna and is given the meaning of drawn is different directions or to have your mind that is divided. What worry does is to place all our energy that we need for today’s needs on things that might happen tomorrow or in the near future. So we have a half minded type of living. You might have heard the story about the man who hired a man to worry for him and offered him $200,000 a year. The man who was hired said as an opening question, "Where will you get the money to pay me?" "That is your first worry." Whom would you hire to do your worrying? Some do not want others to do their worrying for then they would have little to do with their lives. Is the Lord speaking here to someone?
III. THE CAUSE OF HAPPINESS.
The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. Happiness lies ahead for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who tried...for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives. IV. GOD’S WORD IS THE REMEDY FOR WORRY.
If we would just take the time to read Gods’ word the problem of worry would be destroyed.. Most of those who have been in church very long have learned Psalm 23. Right here in the second verse it says "He leads me" and to me it is of interest that in the very next verse it says "He leads me in the paths of righteousness." Does that mean that God who is holy, who takes care of this whole world is saying, "I will lead you?" This scripture does not say that God says, "Go!" with a whip cracking over our heads. No it says that He is ahead of us leading. Not only leading but he is also clearing the way and picking out the best path for us to go on. He stays ahead of us to make sure we do not fall in hole of trip over a rock or get caught in a bush. He is ahead and He lets us know what we need to know when we need to know it. He gives us grace in the time that we need it. Hb. 4:16 Jesus said to us, "don’t worry ahead of time about what you will say, because it will not really be you speaking, it will be the Holy Spirit."MK 13:11 How many of us have let that happen? Hold our tongue and let the Holy spirit speak through us? God also gave a message to the Israelites a message that they needed to trust Him in the wilderness. Everyday they would receive manna for them to eat. The instructions were to collect enough for one day and get fresh supply the next day. They were not to keep it overnight. Some did and found rotten food the next day. God took care of them every day as they trusted Him.
God will lead us to do the right thing at the right time and that is all the difference between worry and trust. MT 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Worry leads us down a path in which we start asking the question, "I don’t know." I don’t know if I will have food tomorrow. If my health will be good tomorrow. If some one will call me tomorrow and tell me they love me. I would that each of us might drop our burlap sacks today. That we would leave our worries here and leave with the strength of the Lord. This is not easy for us to do. I am sure that all of us could tell of nights that we have spent without much sleep because we had a worry that overwhelmed us. Jesus’ word to us is "Do not worry about tomorrow." Let us drop the sacks. God is saying "I will lead YOU." ARE YOU LETTING HIM LEAD YOU?
V. THE SHEPHERD WANTS TO TAKE OUR WORRY AWAY AND WE LIKE SHEEP.
Form the life of a sheep we learn that when they are thirsty they become restless and they will set out to find any water to satisfy their thirst. It is a sad note but they will go to any water whether it is polluted or clear and clan. So they need a shepherd to lead them to the good waters. ARE YOU LETTING HIM LEAD YOU?
We are all thirsty souls and we can only be fully satisfied when we are drawing from the fountain of life that is only in Jesus Christ. As we think of drinking, it means to take in, to accept, to believe in the spiritual realm of lives. In this verse we read, "He the Good Shepherd leads me." He is the only one who will lead us by the still quiet deep clean pure satisfying water that we need. He can only lead us to that which will make us fit and strong spiritually which is an eternal matter. It is a matter that we have to make in this life. I heard a lady say that she thought her dead sister had made it close to heaven because there was good side to her. I had to tell her you can not be close, you either are or aren’t in heaven and it is too late after you die to decide.
Water for sheep comes from the dew on the grass, deep wells and streams. For the sheep to get the dew from the grass the Shepherd has to get up early in the morning and wake his sheep up so he can lead them out to the dew on the grass that comes during the night. Are you letting Him lead you? I have found that those who are most confident and able to cope with the difficulties in life are those who rise up early to feed on God’s Word. All the biographies of people who have been successful in their spiritual lives tell of how they spent time alone with God in the quiet morning hours of the day. It is there that the Spirit can set the pace of one’s life for a day that is cared for by God. In these times of reading, praying and meditation in communion with Christ one is refreshed in mind and spirit. I sometimes turn on the TV in the morning but it does not give the words of life and in fact can set one out on a bad mood and affect one’s attitude in an adverse way. The Word of God brings refreshment and gives meaning to life. God love to see you contented, quiet, relaxed and at rest. He wants our souls to be refreshed and satisfied. ARE YOU LETTING HIM LEAD YOU?
The Shepherd knows our hearts, our personalities, our souls and that have an amazing capacity for God that can not be satisfied with a substitute no matter what it is. Only Jesus can satisfy your soul!!! I have found that some who know this still refuse to follow God. They want to run their own lives and do what they want to do. "I did my way." "It’s your life do what ever you want as long as you do not hurt others." They want to master their own life and not have any one over them telling them what to do. They want to walk in their own ways and drink from any source that satisfies their fleshly appetites. ARE YOU LETTING HIM LEAD YOU? The attitude we face from many today say when questioned about their ways. "So what. I can’t see that this is going to do any harm." When they find themselves in trouble they wonder how they got there. The Good Shepherd invites us to let ourselves to be led and guided by His Holy Spirit. ARE YOU LETTING HIM LEAD YOU?
Now let us have a little private talk as we continue. Are you pursuing anything as substitute to what God wants for you? Are you pursuing knowledge through much learning? Are you pursuing music and culture events to fill that void? Now maybe you are pursuing physical exercise and activities that take up the time you should be spending seeking God? Are you involved in a hobby or doing community events or traveling to visit and see sights and finding a hollow, empty, unfilled thirst within? The long ago prophet said, "My people.... have forsaken the fountain of living waters and hewed them out containers, broken containers that can hold no water." Jer. 2:13 So they have lived lives that are dissatisfied and lack meaning. ARE YOU LETTING HIM LEAD YOU?
He is the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep. He will lead if we choose to follow.
ARE YOU LETTING HIM LEAD YOU?
