TOPIC: The More You Trust God, the Less You’ll Worry
“‘Do not be worried and upset,’ Jesus told them. ‘Believe in God and believe also in me.’” John 14:1 (GNT)
Rick Warren Daily Hope Devotional 31st December 2022 MESSAGE
You know what it’s like to live in constant worry, don’t you? You feel uptight, your stomach seems tied in knots, and your whole body is tense. But you don’t have to live that way. Anything that’s learned can be unlearned. It’s time to start unlearning worry!
God has promised to take care of you; that’s his job, not yours. The starting point to letting go of worry is to maintain this humble attitude: “God is God, and I am not.” When you understand this important truth, worry will start to disappear from your life.
The Bible says, “‘Do not be worried and upset,’ Jesus told them. ‘Believe in God and believe also in me’” (John 14:1 GNT).
Anytime you worry, it reveals a particular area of your life where you have not given God first place. That’s because any part of your life where God is not in control is going to be a source of insecurity and worry.
So what can you do about that? Welcome Jesus into your life’s “house.” Give him access to all the aspects of your life—the living room, the bedroom, the kitchen, and even all the closets. He already knows what’s in there. In fact, God knows your needs better than you do. You have needs you’re not even aware of—but none of them will surprise God.
Jesus said, “Your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to” (Matthew 6:32-33 TLB).
When you make Jesus Christ number one in every area of your life, it simplifies your priorities and gives you a lot less to worry about.
Jesus taught, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me . . . I sacrifice my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15 NLT).
If God loved you enough to die for you, he certainly loves you enough to feed you, lead you, and meet whatever need you have today.
Try this: Start every day by reminding yourself that God is good. When you wake up, sit on the side of your bed and say, “The Lord is my Shepherd. So, Jesus, I’m expecting you to feed me, lead me, and meet my needs today. I will give you first place in every area of my life. And I will trust you.”
As you begin every day by trusting God, you’ll start to see your worries fall away.
