Category: Mindful Bible Reads

Worrying about the future stems from a lack of trust in God’s provision and sovereignty, encouraging us to trust Him instead of being consumed by anxiety, as Jesus instructed in Matthew 6:34 (“Do not worry about tomorrow”).

Philippians 4:6-7 says not to be anxious but to present all requests to God with prayer, petition, and thanksgiving, resulting in the peace of God guarding their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, a peace that surpasses understanding.

Through his great mercy, God has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3-5). This hope leads to an imperishable inheritance in heaven, and God guards believers through faith until the final salvation is revealed.

Revelation 21:1-8, describes the vision of a new heaven and a new earth where God will dwell with humanity, eliminating all suffering, death, mourning, crying, and pain. It details the descent of the New Jerusalem from Heaven, prepared by God” as a bride adorned for her husband”. Those who “overcome” will inherit these new things and be God’s children, while those who are faithless, murderers, and liars will face the second death” in the lake of fire.

Do not let money define your identity or happiness, trusting that God will provide for your needs, and being a wise steward of what you have. “Doesn’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need” (Philippians 4:6) and “leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Ecclesiastes 5:10-20, tells us
Those who love money will never be satisfied with the money they have. Those who love wealth will not be satisfied when they get more and more. This is also senseless. The more wealth people have, the more “friends” they have to help spend it. So the rich really gain nothing. They can only look at their wealth. Those who work hard all day come home and sleep in peace. It is not important if they have little or much to eat. But the rich worry about their wealth and are not able to sleep. There is a very sad thing that I have seen happen in this life. People save their money for the future. Then something bad happens and they lose everything. So they have nothing to give to their children. People come into the world with nothing. And when they die, they leave with nothing. They might work hard to get things, but they cannot take anything with them when they die. It is very sad that people leave the world just as they came. So what does a person gain from “trying to catch the wind”? They only get days that are filled with sadness and sorrow. In the end, they are troubled, sick and angry.

Matthew 6:24-34, teaches
You cannot serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one and love the other, or you will be loyal to one and not care about the other. You cannot serve God and Money at the same time. So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live-what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly father feeds him. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are? You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the wildflowers in the field. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? It’s just grass-one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small! Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat? Or ‘What will we drink? Or ‘What we will wear? That’s what those people who don’t know about God are always thinking about. Don’t worry because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries.

Author: Pastor Andrew Farland

Over the last couple of days, we have talked about the importance of refocusing on God and freeing our minds of the distractions of our daily lives. The idea of getting away from the daily routine and getting closer to God sounds amazing.

If we are truthful to ourselves and accept the fact, we frequently experience discouragement. Maybe you decided long ago to follow Jesus, but it’s getting hard to live a Christian life in this world. Or you chose to raise children in a Christian home, but as the kids are growing older, you find yourself on the verge of giving up because it’s so tough.
The world can discourage you and me pretty quickly. And if we’re not careful, we can be tempted to give up.

Instead of giving up, we need to look up.

That’s the challenge for you today. Don’t give up. Look up! God’s got your back.

The writer of Exodus 14:14 says, “Be still and let the Lord fight for you.” God has already gone ahead of you and won the battle for you. Your job as a follower of Jesus is to keep pushing forward, trusting that God has your wants the best for you.

So, if you’re trying to be a better person, a better dad, a more involved spouse, a harder-working employee, or just a more faithful Christian, don’t get discouraged when the evil one throws obstacles your way. Instead, believe that God is proud of you and wants you to keep up your focus on Him, the maker and sustainer of all things. He has already won the battle for you!

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

Author: Pastor Andrew

One way to regain focus is to make reading the Bible a daily habit. David’s prayer in Psalm 119:25 demonstrates this: “I am completely discouraged. Revive me by your word.” It’s crucial to change our mindset since our thoughts impact our actions, attitudes, and relationships. The best way to do this is by reading God’s word. Even setting aside five minutes during your lunch break can make a difference.

The second way to refocus is to meditate on what God has done in the past. Ask yourself how God has shown up in your life. Ask how many people He has put into your path that have helped you become better people. Think about the good things that God has allowed you to have. Acknowledging what God has done in your past can fill you with confidence to move forward.

The third way to refocus is thinking about God’s promises. The Bible is filled with words from God, telling you how important you are to Him. To refocus, find scriptures on God’s promises to take care of you. The best place to start is to read Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.”

Say those words from Philippians 1:6 out loud a few times and make a mental note of how you feel. Are you more focused on God? Do you feel like your mind and heart are in a better place?

If you’re like me and recite Bible verses, you’ll find that it changes your thoughts, actions, and overall attitude.

I am praying for you as you turn your attention toward your creator!

I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. (Psalm 32:8)