Not Living Like the World - Thanksgiving Devotional #5

By Alexis A. Goring whose first devotional book, Stories and Songs of Faith: My Journey with God, was published in April 2020.

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“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” - 1 Peter 2:9 NIV 

“What a Beautiful Name” is one of the many songs by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir that inspires my heart.

The soloist starts by speaking to the audience, explaining that there are many notable and famous names in this world, but there is no other name like Jesus Christ. His name has power and brings healing. She says we, as followers of Christ, don’t have to live the way the world does. God calls us higher. We don’t need to worry because God cares for us and provides our every need.

But how often do we still live the way of the world? How often do we worry about how we’ll be able to afford food every day or clothes to wear in every season? Maybe we’re worried about losing our income-yielding work and being broke. Perhaps we’re concerned about things going wrong in a romantic relationship or losing a friendship. Therefore, we rush around, chasing money and people, not realizing that all we need is Jesus. If we seek His Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) then everything else will fall into its proper place.

Living a self-centered luxurious lifestyle and chasing money isn’t the only way to deprioritize God. It can also look like being caught up with the worries of the world. It means being so focused on all that is wrong that we forget that God is in control. This is His world. He made it. The prince of this world (Satan), who tries to control it, only has so much time left to wreak havoc. His reign will end when Jesus comes again, this time to take His faithful followers home to Heaven. This means that our pain and our problems have an expiration date! It also means that we have hope if we’re following Jesus.

In the end, God wins! He is victorious and will put a permanent end to sin and all the suffering it causes. The devil, his evil demons, and people who he deceived into following him will be thrown into the lake of fire, never to live again. God will make the Earth new and all will finally be right with our world.

But until then, we must live for God and remember who He is. We can’t allow our problems to overwhelm us to the point where we forget that we have a good God who is watching out for us. We don’t have to fret and run around in panic mode when we feel like things are going wrong. Let’s relax and rejoice because God has covered us with His love, grace and mercy! The Bible says that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) and great is His faithfulness. God is more than capable of meeting our every need and helping us survive everything life throws at us.

I’m speaking to myself as much as I’m speaking to you. Too often, I have let the worries of this world consume me and I’ve forgotten about God’s sovereignty. I’ve fallen into the trap of thinking that everything relies on me, and so I need to work harder, be better on my own, and do what I can to provide for myself. But the opposite is true: God is known as Jehovah Jireh because He is our provider. We can trust Him completely to cover us and support us in every way. The home we own or place we rent, the food we eat, the vehicle we drive, the clothes we wear—all our possessions—are gifts from God. He owns everything. We’re only borrowing it during our lifetime here on Earth.

When we make God our first priority every day, we can trust that He’ll meet our needs and be there for us in every way. God’s track record is flawless. We can trust Him more than the most trustworthy person we know, because mere mortals are flawed. We’re only human, which means that we’re bound to fail. But the good news is that we have a Savior. He knows what to do and He will always help us.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

How does it feel to know that God is our provider who will meet our every need? In what ways can you seek the kingdom of God and put Him first?

Further Reading:
Matthew 6:25-34
Psalm 145:13
Proverbs 3:5-6
Psalm 62:8
Psalm 56:3-4

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Prayer:

Father,

           We choose Your Word over everything in our life, Your wisdom, Your direction, Your guidance for our Christ-like character development. Forgive us for those times we have fallen into believing we could do this life by ourselves. Keep us ever mindful of seeking You first and Your kingdom. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Get the Message

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Matthew 6:33 The Message

In the face of global sanctions, the rising cost of oil and gas, the predicted inflation rates, and a looming recession, those of us who are in covenant with God our Saviour need have no fear. His Word assures us in so many places. This is one of my favorites from The Message.

You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.

If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. Matthew 6:24-34 The Message

Prayer:

Father,

We choose to trust You, knowing that You are our Source, our Jehovah Jireh, especially during these unstable times we're living in. We will not get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. We know You will help us deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. We give You all praise and glory in Jesus' Name. Amen

* Then

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. [emphasis mine]

Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

The world will tell you - it's not what you know, it's who you know that gets you through. Well, for once, I might have to agree at least in part with the world's take on that. For if we know the Great I AM, Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Creator of Life, the One in whom we live and move and have our very being, AND then we tell Him what we need AND then CHOOSE to trust Him (trusting Him means we believe His Word over our circumstances) AND then THANK Him for all He has already done, THEN we will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand.

In a time fraught with political upheaval and unrest and uncertainty, we are given a guarantee of peace. Our Promise for Today in Philippians echoes Isaiah 26:3, You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done, THEN you will experience God’s peace...

Prayer:

Father,

        We will tell You everything. We will let You know all that we need, trusting You to take care of us as we choose to submit our lives and our will to You. Lord, we KNOW it is You who has brought us through and it is You who will lead us safely home. And we give You praise and offer our requests with thanksgiving for all You've done for us, knowing that then we will experience Your peace. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen