LOOK AGAIN AND THINK

 “Take no thought for your life.”   (Matt. 6:25 JKV)

         “A warning which needs to be reiterated is that the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, will choke all that God puts in. We are never free from the recurring tides of this encroachment. If it does not come on the line of clothes and food, it will come on the line of money or lack of money; of friends or lack of friends; or on the line of difficult circumstances. 

It is one steady encroachment all the time, and unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the standard against it, these things will come in like a flood. ‘Take no thought for your life.’ ‘Be careful about one thing only,’  says our Lord – ‘your relationship to me.’ Common sense shouts loud and says – ‘That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, I must consider what I am going to eat and drink.’ 

Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things so as to make them the one concern of our life. Whenever there is competition, be sure that you put your relationship to God first.

         ‘Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.’ How much evil has begun to threaten you to-day? What kind of mean little imps have been looking in and saying- Now what are you going to do next month – this summer? ‘Be anxious for nothing.’ Jesus says. 

Look again and think. Keep your mind on the ‘much more’ of your heavenly Father.”

Devotions for MORNING and EVENING with OSWALD CHAMBERS  January 2

JUST BECAUSE HE’S GOOD!        Taken from Our Daily Bread   (2/8/12)

        “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!  (Ps. 136:1)

Read Psalm 100

 “Joel and Lauren decided to move from Washington State back home to Michigan. Wanting to make one last special memory, they bought coffee from their favorite café and then stopped at their favorite bookstore. There they picked up two bumper stickers with a favorite motto of the town they were saying goodbye to: ‘It’s an ‘Edmond’s kind of day.’

After 2 weeks and a 3,000-mile drive, they entered Michigan. Hungry and wanting to celebrate their arrival, they stopped and asked about where to find a restaurant. Although they had to backtrack a few miles, they found a quaint little café. Emma, their waitress, excited to learn they were from her home state of Washington, asked, ‘What city?’ ‘Edmonds,’ they replied. ‘That’s where I’m from!’ she said. Wanting to share the joy, Joel got their extra bumper sticker from the car and handed it to her. Amazingly, the sticker was from her mother’s store! It had gone from her mom’s hands to theirs, across 3,000 miles, to her hands.

Mere coincidence? Or were these experiences good gifts orchestrated by a good God who loves to encourage His children? Proverbs tells us, ‘A man’s steps are directed by the LORD’ (20:24). In response, let’s ‘bless His name. For the LORD is good’ (Ps. 100:4-5) —Anne  Anne Cetas

                  Bestowed with benefits daily,

                  Sent from the Father above’

             Mercies and blessings abounding,

           Gifts of His marvelous love. — Anon.

Every good gift comes from the Father.” 

jowildflowers@gmail.com   jean-oathout.blogspot.com