October 14, 2016 (Friday)
A mild cold front has come through and we are seeing a few days of beautiful weather with clear, blue skies and at times pleasant temperatures.
As I write this on Tuesday morning (three days ago), my yard, both front an back, has become a haven for squirrels. I always see one or two, but today there are at least four, maybe five, and all of them having a good time. Not one of them is worried about the presidential election, the spectre of higher taxes, the shaky foundations of Social Security, the decaying moral fabric of the nation, or anything else. Each is carefree and happy, although totally vigilant and on the lookout for predators.
Those thoughts are pushing for a place in my mind that helps me understand something very important: the only person keeping me from being worry-free is myself! Jesus was fond of using illustrations from nature to bring home ideas that will help us in our journey through life. Here are a few things He said (Matthew 6:19-34 TLB):
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth where they can erode away or may be stolen. Store them in heaven where they will never lose their value and are safe from thieves. If your profits are in heaven, your heart will be there too.
“If your eye is pure, there will be sunshine in your soul. But if your eye is clouded with evil thoughts and desires, you are in deep spiritual darkness. And oh, how deep that darkness can be!
“You cannot serve two masters: God and money. For you will hate one and love the other, or else the other way around.
“So my counsel is: Don’t worry about things–food, drink, and clothes. For you already have life and a body–and they are far more important than what to eat and wear. Look at the birds! They don’t worry about what to eat–they don’t need to sow or reap or store up food–for your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothes? Look at the field lilies! They don’t worry about theirs. Yet King Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as beautifully as they. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you, O men of little faith?
“So don’t worry at all about having enough food and clothing. Why be like the heathen? For they take pride in all these things and are deeply concerned about them. But your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to.
“So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.”
Listen to Lynda Randle and the Gaithers sing, “One Day At A Time, Sweet Jesus”
