Listening to the Holy Spirit:
Joyful are those with My peace. Without threat, their lives are under My hand, allowing only that which builds and draws. Little is lost and much gained. Even in the calamity, the joy of My fortress protects them. A strong tower is the refuge of My sheep, amidst the world, but in protection from its decay. Peace flows deeply as the living Spirit of the Father gives quench to fear and worthless folly. No storm rises that does not water the earth or strengthen the sea, and no torrent of the Father ends in life lost for My sheep, [rather] watered and made stronger. Peace is with them in the huddle, their hearts do not pound, and sleep does not evade them. The voice of the Shepherd is heard over the rain, and joy is felt over the fear.
Deut 6:16 (ESV) – You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.
Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) – You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Matt 6:25 (ESV) – Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…
Phil 4:5-6 (ESV) – The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything…
Heb 11:6 (NIV) – And without faith it is impossible to please God…
Taking It to Work:
How many times have you been in a tough spot? A spot you were very worried about, but with your effort and God’s help you got through it. For me, those times are innumerable. I have written a few of them down over the years in my journals, especially when I really saw God’s hand move, but for the most part, they go unrecorded and are forgotten.
That’s a shame, because if I could recall all the circumstances that I thought were so dire at the time, and could remember with clarity how God saw me through, at this point, I would as scripture tells us, “Worry for nothing”.
Biblically, I think one of the chief offenses toward God is our not trusting Him, even after He has shown Himself so trustworthy. In Deuteronomy, we hear a rebuke of the Israelites, that saw the many miracles God did through Moses, but at Massah in the desert, still griped and doubted that God would continue taking care of them. God did not like that.
How many incredible things did the disciples see Jesus do, but multiple times we hear Jesus say, probably with a sigh, “You of little faith.”. So many of His lessons were centered on how important our faith is in God’s eyes. Hebrews 11:6 even supports it further, “Without faith it is impossible to please God”.
For children of the Most High God, our worry, our anxiety, our fear…must bow to faith.
In the workplace, overload, stressful deadlines, financial pressures, overbearing bosses, unreasonable customers, and a hundred other demands can make us lose sleep, grow ulcers or worse. The Word of God says we should worry for NOTHING. That applies to our work as well as our personal lives.
Whatever your challenge is right now, put your heart into doing your best, but trust fully in His promises of protection and help to make up for what you can’t control. You’ve been through hard things with Him before. Have faith. He’s still by your side, as His Word works confidence in you, today.
