ManageYourEmotionsBook8.5x5.5_RevJULY.indd

Research breaks down the “unnecessary” worrying we do as follows: 40% -Things which never happen. 30% -The past, which cannot be changed or corrected. 12% - Needless worry about our health. 10% - Petty, miscellaneous worries. 8% - Real and legitimate worries. 52 These words from Jesus in our central text constitute a condi- tional promise. If we are faithful to seek His kingdom and righteous- ness, then “All these things will be added unto you.” By “all these things,” Jesus meant the necessities of life He had described up to that point.With that in mind, note the following key steps related to receiving these blessings. Trust God to provide. The hillside from which Jesus preached provided a perfect backdrop for His sermon. Pointing to the birds in the air, He proclaimed, “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” Referring to the colorful flowers nearby, He added, “Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these” (Matthew 6:26-29). If God takes such good care of the plants and animals, just think of the great bounty He has in store for those created in His image, the crown jewel of His creation. “Are (we) not worth much more than they? (Mathew 6:26). Throughout their forty years of wilderness wandering, the Israelites miraculously received manna from heaven to meet their physical needs (see Exodus 16). Centuries later, the prophet Elijah was fed by ravens and then a poor widow during a time of severe drought. David acknowledged: “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.” Paul writes, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Psalm 37:25, Philippians 4:19). Worrying won’t put food on the table or clothes on our back.

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