Don't Worry

Good morning.

Welcome to Legacy of Freedom Podcast.

We're gonna be talking this morning about a subject that a lot of people have issues with, and that's simply worry.

Do you ever find yourself uh kind of caught into a place that your days wasted away because you just can't move on from the thoughts that are controlling you?

Maybe your job is not stable, maybe your family is going through a rough patch, maybe your kids are are having difficult times and you don't know what to do as a parent.

Well, we as humans tend to worry.

Someone used the analogy that worry is kind of like sitting in a rocking chair.

You may be moving, you're really not going anywhere.

And it's fruitless to worry, and Jesus understands that we as human beings can find ourselves in that place of perpetual worrying about situations.

And Matthew chapter 6, Jesus is is speaking to the congregation, the people that's in his presence.

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

And here's what he says in verse 25.

He says, The same God who created life in you can be with trusted with the details of your life.

Do you ever think about that?

The same God that created.

He said, That's why I tell you not to worry.

Because your Father in heaven, he knows what you need.

Why not go to him with it?

Why not just go boldly before God and say, Listen, you God, you know my heart, you know my struggles, you know that I'm caught in this place of uncertainty, and I can't I can't seem to shake it.

And I come to you because your yoke, Jesus, is easy.

And I just want to find rest for my soul.

So we we understand that when we worry about the future, it hinders us for today.

Think about that.

If you're worrying about the future, it's robbing you of your time today.

Because Jesus says you can't do anything, you can't add to your life by worrying.

I mean you can't solve your problems because you stayed in a a place for twenty-four hours just kind of balled up and into a perpetual anxiety because oh God is coming, it's gonna happen.

I know it's gonna happen.

And I can't do anything about it.

One thing we we want to really do in this effort every day when we open the scriptures is to magnify truth.

You need to ask yourself the question, what is truth?

What is true about you know, can something bad happen?

Absolutely.

Anything can happen.

But when you bring the presence of God through prayer into the situation, when you pray and you put those concerns, you place them in God's care, then you have his ability, his power, his wisdom to come in and to really begin to work and reveal, give you revelation how he's gonna work everything out, right?

For the good.

Romans 8 28, it says that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and those who are called according to purpose.

See, God he's already ordained blessing upon your life as a child of God.

So worrying will hamper my efforts for today.

Worrying is more harmful than helpful.

I mean, it's a proven fact that stress kills people, right?

And so, you know, we want to live a peaceful life, not a stress-filled life.

We want a peaceful life.

We want to walk in assurance that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, that He cares for us, right?

And so, you know, you need to remember that it's not helpful to worry.

I think some people they almost nonchalantly just find themselves in worrying about things instead of praying about things.

Paul, the apostle, says, Don't be anxious about anything, right?

But with thanksgiving, right?

Let your request be made known to God.

To be thankful means that you understand the nature of God, that he is a good father, that he will answer our prayers, that he's able to help us in our time of need.

God does not ignore those who depend upon him.

He's a good father.

He doesn't ignore us, he knows your needs before you ask.

And Jesus tells us in Matthew 7, he says, Ask and you shall receive, right?

So I mean, when we come to God with the understanding that God will not ignore us, that he's going to listen when we call upon him, and he is willing to help.

Think about this.

Worry shows a lack of faith in an understanding of God.

It shows a lack of faith in an understanding of God.

When you know God and you have, I'm talking about an experiential knowledge, you know God, and you've walked with him, and he's proved himself, he's answered prayer, he's delivered you, and he's protected you, and he's been faithful, and he takes you through the seasons of that are heart seat, and he brings you through the dry times, and he brings you through the wilderness and to the promises, and and you recognize, know that God will not ignore you because he knows our frame, he knows that we are dependent upon.

And when we understand, then all of a sudden worry makes a home in our heart.

Think about this worry keeps us from real challenges God wants us to see.

Sometimes when opposition or change comes in, and maybe God's shaking the nest in order to get us to fly.

Maybe God's allowing, like Elijah, the brook, cherith, it dries up.

God told him to go to the brook, to drink from the brook, and the ravens would come and feed him.

Well, after some time passes by, the brook dries up.

Then God's next command is go, I'm going to show you where to go.

There's a widow in Zeraph.

And I want you to go down there.

She is going to supply your needs.

Think about it, that's unlikely.

Candidate, a widow, when he goes, if if you read the story, she was about to bake her last cake for her and her son.

She was gathering stick, and when he asks for a drink of water, something pressed, she turns to go get the water.

And he says, And bring me something to eat.

And she stopped in her tracks and she looked at the man of God and she says, I only have enough for me and my son.

And I was gathering these sticks to build a fire to cook that cake, and it was going to be our last meal because we have nothing else.

And he said, Yeah, I understand.

But he's basically challenging her in faith, saying, Go do as I ask.

Please bring me a cup of water and something to eat.

At that moment, her faith and her trust was God can supply my need.

But I believe also that it is a reflection of her heart, not only to trust God, but to be willing to be someone who gives in the time of need.

Well, we know the story that after she baked him a cake, that he says, Now go and bake something for yourself.

And she goes back, and each time that she reaches in that jar of meal, there's enough.

Scoops a little cup in there.

There's enough oil.

Didn't say that it filled up.

It doesn't say that there was an overflow of that.

Who knows?

It may have just been enough each time.

But her faith grew every time she went to that jar.

I believe after several trips to that jar, I don't think worry and fear and doubt began to shake her.

I began she walked towards that jar with confidence that there was a miracle, there was the miraculous, that God was able to supply all of her need.

I want to encourage you today that God is able to supply all of your need.

No matter what you're going through, no matter what it looks like, no matter if you're down to your your last meal or you're in a season of drought, and if it looks hopeless, I just want to encourage you today, don't worry.

Instead, begin to trust in God and begin to call upon the name of the Lord.

It could be that this challenge and this change is going to open up a pursuit for you to come into a greater understanding of God, to walk in greater faith.

I believe that the woman not only reached in that jar for her and her son and the prophet, I believe a ministry may have been birthed.

I believe that maybe she was making some cakes for her neighbors.

And maybe she would go and maybe she would open knock on the door and they would open it and she said, I just want to give you something.

I brought you something.

And ministry that she could share her faith with them and cause hope to rise up in them that they weren't fearful because they understand that the God is faithful.

I want you to just meditate on the goodness of the Lord today.

Well, I know your situations may still be there, the circumstances may be the same, but I want to encourage you, meditate on the goodness of the Lord, that He is faithful, He will not fail to answer those who come to Him in faith.

You see, this may be the beginning of a new season.

You may be at the end of an old season and you're worried about the next.

Don't worry, trust God.

The truth is, God is good to all who call upon him.

Today I want to pray with you that worry will not be a burden in your life, but that the peace of Jesus Christ be the mainstay of all your days.

That you would know the goodness of God in the land of the living.

Father, I pray for those listening and I pray that your Holy Spirit would come, that you begin to reveal to them who you are, that your power is so awesome, so immeasurable, that you created all things, that you created us, you have a plan for us.

So I pray that that plan that you have for each one of us as we pursue you, we would live out that plan that will bring glory and honor or great joy and know.

Thank you for your grace to live, alive, and honestly.

We ask all these things, the precious name of your holy son, Jesus.

Something you heard today, encourage it to you.

To stir up your faith, God is good to all who call for you.

So why don't you just do that today?

Take a pause for worry to take time to be thankful.

Hopefully, be willing.

He will bless all of his children with new mercy so that we can live a life that brings us a legacy.

God bless you, this is Eric, right?

It's on and off until we meet again.