Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34

 Pretend with me for a moment that you will receive $100 every day to live. Every day you must spend that $100 or whatever is left in your account will be deducted from the $100 you’ll receive on the following day. Worrying about tomorrow’s expenses by hording today’s money won’t help you with the next day’s allotment. In essence, you are short changing yourself.

 Jesus Christ reminds us in today’s verse not to worry about tomorrow. When you put your faith and trust in God, He provides for your every need on a daily basis (Matthew 6:33). Just like the analogy above, worrying about the concerns of tomorrow spreads God’s daily blessings thin, taking away from God’s resources for today. Using God’s blessings, make today the best it can be and trust God knows what’s needed for tomorrow.

 ….For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Matthew 6:32

 Speaking of tomorrow, God knows what’s needed for all your tomorrows. Worrying simply takes away from God’s plan He has for you today. You might be thinking, yeah, that sounds good and all, but my situation is dire and I’m literally at rock bottom. Friend, God is right there at rock bottom with you and is ready to lift you out of the miry clay pit and ready to bless you, but He won’t bring you up any further than one rung of the ladder per day, so take His hand and have the confidence that God has your tomorrows covered. Trust Him with today and you’ll see how trustworthy He truly is. Take a moment and read Jesus discussion on worry in Matthew 6:25-34. God bless!

 

 “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” Matthew 6:7

 Have you ever had a lengthy conversation with someone and afterwards you realized they really didn’t say anything of importance? When I was growing up, we called them “motor mouths”. They just babbled and went on and on with no substance in their conversation.

 As a child of God, praying to God is a privilege and what you pray should have substance. I relate prayer to a vehicle. Once you become a child of God, just like a new car with many features, you aren’t quite sure how praying works, but over time you come to know God better through your prayers as they become more personal. After a while, those prayers can turn to mundane talk, repeating the same thing over and over again, just like a motor mouth and quite frankly, they become useless chatter to God. Let’s look at ways to enhance your prayer life so they have more substance and purpose.

 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 7:6

 There is something special about secluding yourself from the world, and others, as you kneel in an enclosed room, and opening your heart to God. Humbling yourself before Him shows that you honor Him, respect Him and seek after His wisdom and will for your life. Prayer request should have purpose, showing God you truly have a desire for Him to answer your request. Hold nothing back in your prayer time, let your emotions drive your prayer time such as weeping, laughing, and praising God. Your prayers are intimate conversations, just as if you were talking to your closest friend.

 If you truly want to see your prayer life improve, make quality time for it, put forth your best and recognize when you pray, you are on Holy ground and give God the respect and honor He deserves. You’ll quickly find your prayers more enriching and God’s call to answer those requests will come at just the right time. What areas of your prayer life need a tune up today?

 

 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

 Have you ever found yourself asking someone if they loved you OR if they still love you? You might be in a relationship and done something wrong, and you question whether this person still loves you. Maybe you are in prison and committed a horrible crime and wonder if anyone loves you. Love is something we all want to experience, but the truth is love can be fragile in this fallen world. People’s feelings are often redirected upon some unforgettable act and that feeling of love fades. How can one find a love that never ceases?

 Today’s verse is a great reminder that God first loved you and gave His Son to die in your place for the sins you’ve committed (and will commit), opening up a relationship of grace and mercy that sustains love for all eternity. It’s there for the taking and all you have to do is accept God’s love, through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf. Once a child of God, NOTHING you do will ever change His love for you, NOTHING! Yea, you might royally mess up and feel the world hates you, but not God.  He sees your heart and His love continues to embrace you 24/7.

 You might be reading this right now and feel the pain of a love loss. Fill that void with God’s love. His ability to love you goes even further than a parent’s love for their child. Sometimes you have to start fresh, begin filling your heart with God’s love and let that be your security in this fallen world. God bless!

 

 2 Corinthians 9:7-8. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. [8]And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States has provided over $70 billion in aid to Ukraine. That's a lot of hard earned money, paid for by the US taxpayers. Many, including myself, question how this money is being spent outside the watchful eye of the US government. Paying taxes is hard, especially with today's inflation, but it's a requirement if you are an American citizen. Thus, you have to simply trust it's for our country's good. 

A more challenging task in tight financial times is tithing to the church AND giving to the needy. That person on a street corner with a sign saying he needs help, might just be a legitimate need and your generosity would go a long way in helping them just get through another day. But, your mind questions the genuineness of their request; should you give or not? 

Today's verses shed light on the matter. God loves a cheerful giver. Sometimes it's best to give without question, because God looks at the giver and blesses His obedience. That money or any kind of donation might not be used rightly, but that's between God and them. When you give without reservation, you fulfill God's command to share His blessings with others. One dollar or one million, makes no difference to God, it's the meaning behind the giving. 

Be on the lookout this week for opportunities to share the love of God through your generosity. God will bless you when you give cheerfully. 

 Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

All throughout my community new homes and apartment buildings are being constructed. With new factories and population growth, we are expecting an influx of people. With that said, quality materials are a must when constructing places for people to reside. Many older homes are still standing today because builders chose to use quality materials and not cut corners. 

Today's verse is a great reminder that the things and people you take time to invest in will have lasting effects. Good moral standards are quality building blocks for your children, whose lives will pass on those quality traits to their children. Thinking of my grandmother who made time for me at the kitchen table, talking about spiritual things, have gone with me throughout my life and hopefully benefitted my kids for generations to come. 

Take time to survey your life. Are you providing others quality standards and fair treatment? Your legacy will live on, either good or bad. Why not make it good for the benefit of others and bring honor to God. One day you and I will give an account of what we did for the Lord in this life. Make quality a number one priority. 

 Proverbs 1:8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction And do not forsake your mother's teaching;

Yesterday we visited Lori's mother in the nursing home. Her hearing is very poor and she can't hear Lori, so I usually lead our conversations. I love hearing stories of days gone by and how they lived prior to my birth. Her mom was full of great stories and I soaked up every word. 

Our conversation reminded me of talks I had with my grandmother. Since she has passed, those stories are simply vague memories in my mind now; oh how I wish I could go back and relive those wonderful talks with her. The wisdom I gained truly shaped my life and many things I learned from her I use them to guide my decisions, sometimes daily. 

If you are fortunate to have one, maybe two previous generations of family still living, make time to hear their stories, learn from their life. They are no different than you. They were young once and survived many of life's challenges and can provide you wisdom, saving you the heartache of making wrong choices. Once they are gone, so are the precious stories of those who made a way for your life. Who can you make time for this week? I sincerely promise you won't regret time spent listening. God bless. 

 Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37

 With all the chaos in the United States, you have to wonder does God still bless America? The moral decay of society and political corruption under the protection of God’s hand I believe is slowly eroding. Just like the pollution is eroding earth’s protective layer in the atmosphere, we are seeing negative impacts as a result of this country’s ways.

 What can stop the erosion and bring back God’s blessings on this great nation? The first step you can take is making God a priority in your life. Including God in every aspect of your life and making decisions that would please Him is a start. God always blesses obedience, and your moral actions, although counter to today’s standards, set the example for your children, family members and neighbors. You don’t need to toot your horn on your way to church, but make a point to attend regularly. Pray for this country, its leadership, and yourself that God will lead you down the path of His perfect will. Nothing pleases God more than hearing from you.

 The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked HE will destroy. Psalm 145:20

 Your actions, your prayers, and keeping your spiritual life in check is critical to seeing a change across this great land. Sharing God’s word with others is God’s purpose for your life and unless you are willing to share your beliefs with those in the dark, how will anyone know about God and His willingness to bless a nation that calls upon Him daily?