Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
It’s amazing how many things can worry us! Some of those we can take care of, or at least help care for. Some we can’t. For some, we are responsible. Others? Not so much. Yet we can worry, fret, stew. Or maybe we are simply able to acknowledge it is a concern and leave it there.
Philippians 4:6 tells us not to worry, but to present our requests to God. He is able to care for all of them. Some will work out without any more of our involvement. For some, we will find we are God’s instrument to help. Some of our requests will be resolved the way we wanted, some will not. But we can trust the Lord will work everything out. He will, additionally, guard our hearts and minds.
What do we do when we see or hear of trouble? We pray. Lord, have mercy on those who are suffering in poverty and hunger. Can I feed and clothe them all? Not by any stretch of the imagination. But if the Lord makes me able to help a few now and then, and He enables others at other times, what is the result? The hungry are fed, at least some of them. We were concerned, we prayed, and the Lord used us as part of the solution. Sometimes he may use someone else. Regardless, we worked in just the same way. What about when our family member or close friend is hurting? Lord, have mercy, help bring a restoration of our relationship. In that case, you are already part of the solution. So we let the Lord work through us, no matter what the need.
Make your requests known to God. He will work out the troubles in a way which uses you to bring glory to His name.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.