He's Got It

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life..."
(Matthew 6:25-34)

With the alarming and ever increasing number of job loss across the nation, fear, worry, and anxiety are clutching the lives of many. Corporations across the nation are freezing salaries while hundreds of thousand families are spiraling into hopelessness. Corporation cut-backs are prevailing. In fact, Sprint and Home Depot employees have just become recession's latest victim.

It is without question that times are rough. And they will most certainly get worst before they get worst. Nevertheless, there is hope! As an encouragement to the Saints, this is not the time to drop your head and fall into a state depression because your job is not recession proof. Nor is this the time to listen and receive from the voice of the enemy attempting to influence you to do what that brother did to himself and his family in California. The devil is a liar!

Jesus assured us that He not only knows what is happening, but also He is going to take care of us (v.32). He told the disciples and He's telling us in times like this do not worry. Just keep seeking Him and His righteousness. “Don't worry about tomorrow, let tomorrow worry about itself.” In the meantime, fight to keep the faith. Trust God! He will see us through!

Start the Year Right

Are you looking to start this new year growing closer to the Lord, or you're seeking to be strengthen in your mind, body and soul that He might find you a better use for the Kingdom? If so, start by doing either one of two things: "Fast & Pray" or give God your "First Fruits."

Now most of you know about fasting and praying, and we'll come back to this in a second. However, "first fruits" is a teaching that most have never studied or have been taught. In a nut-shell, "first-fruits" was given at the beginning of Old Testament harvest season, which commenced a harvest-time celebration. With the Israelites being agriculturally acute, they would section off more than a tenth (the tithe) of their crops to sacrificially give to God. This was their offering of gratitude and their way of blessing God simply for being God.

Now for us, the one's who produce fruit (via careers, jobs, or any form of income coming in), giving more than the normal 10% required of your first pay in the first month of a new year is considered a first-fruit offering (Prov. 3:9). Some suggest that the first-fruits offering can be broken up over the course of a year, but is this really putting Him first? I will leave that one between you and God.

For fasting & praying... have you ever heard of the "Daniel 21-day fast"? In Daniel 10, you will find him denying himself from certain foods. Now, there is an actual diet regiment that he followed, but I'm going to keep this simple. Eat something... but scale back. For example: if you eat a lot of junk foods, then eat healthier. Or if you do a lot of coffee, stop and drink more water or juices. Now, some of us have health issues, or we're pregnant/nursing. So we need to be careful in all of this. Use wisdom when fasting (See note cautionary note below).

Although Daniel denied himself from some foods, he did eat something. But the ultimate objective was not to loose wait or to slim down to fit that new outfit that's a size less than what you normally wear. So I apologize to those who thought this was another weight lost trick. Daniel turned down a portion of his plate and prayed intensely everyday. So don't just focus on what you've decided to deny yourself. Focus on praying. Whenever you feel the urge to eat what you've denied yourself, pray. Let that be your notification that you need to sit with God. The objective is to commune with God, not to see if you can do without watching Keisha Cole's "The Way It Is" for a month. What does that have to do with your soul anyway?

Daniel's ultimate objective was to set himself to gain understanding and to humble himself before God (Dan 10:12). Daniel had major concerns in his life, but he sought to address them by addressing his personal issues first. Watching Keisha's family will add to your drama.

Like Daniel, take the first or any 21-days of this new year to draw closer to God. And by this you will be prepared to spiritually, mentally, and physically handle the challenges that you will face throughout the year. Not only will you be able to handle the challenges, but you will also grow closer to God by living a life pleasing to Him.

Check out the rest of the story in Daniel and I challenge you to do a study on all the other "fast" listed in the bible. And do a study on "first-fruits". Practice either one by faith and you will bless your life!

Caution! The Daniel Fast Diet like any other fast can create problems for people with medical conditions, pregnant, nursing and/or taking medicine. Consult your doctors and/or pharmacist before starting any fast. Ask them about your medication while fasting.