04/14/2014 (Part One)

Dear God,

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are?  And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?  Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won’t he clothe you even more, you people of little faith? So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. 
 -- Matthew 6:25-34

There are three things that "irk" me like no other when listening to sermons/preachers. The first is a sermon solely based on cliche "godly" sayings to make one "feel good" with no scriptural substance. The second is hell, fire, and brimstone preaching as a way to scare people into Christianity, and the third which I have been thinking about of late and the context for this scripture is prosperity preaching. Just something about making God some magic genie that fulfills all ones wishes doesn't sit well with me. God doesn't owe us anything. Out of his grace and mercy he gave us salvation through Christ Jesus. He gave us his only son to die(John 3:16). So I feel, I don't know, wrong in feeling angry with God if he didn't bless me the way I wanted to be blessed, or when I felt he should have blessed me. This doesn't mean I don't, every once in a while I do. I say things like "Guess you forgot about me God" or "Am I being punished?". Yet afterwards I feel a sense of regret and deep sorrow. For if I took just a couple seconds to think on my life I would realize how utterly and truly blessed I am and how unworthy I am of such. Yet he still continues to bless me and provide for me. I continue to see his hand in my many problems day in and day out. Even in times when I have strayed from him. Just in the past few hours he has continue to bless me. Also as I am learning to humble myself I am learning to be dependent upon God. To trust in him and place my anxieties upon him. Such a simple sentence but it is one of the most difficult things for me to do. For so long I have lived with a self-sufficient attitude towards life. If you merged a micro-manager and a worry wart with a dash of indecisiveness you would have me. May the Lord continue to work in me and create in me a pure heart and a humble spirit.

Create for me a pure heart, O God!
Renew a resolute spirit within me!  Do not reject me!
Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me!

Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance!
Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey!

--Psalm 51:10-12

From,
Your Humbled Servant