Most people have heard Bobby McFerrin song “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” and most, if asked, would probably agree that it is easier said than done.

Why?

I think the answer is because it is difficult to take our focus off of the things that are worrying us and focus on those things that are pleasant and make us happy.

Similarly, in Luke 8:50, Jesus tells a man who was just told that his daughter died, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” This may seem also like an impossible suggestion. How could someone in his situation not be afraid?

The key is to change the focus from the thing that scares us, to Jesus, in whom we have faith.

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your cares on Him, for he cares for you.”

As difficult as it may be for us to overpower those fearful thoughts, If we think about the fact that God, the immeasurably powerful force that created everything, cares about us individually, and personally, we can displace our fears with faith. God has our concerns completely under control, we do not need to fear.

Dear Lord, You tell us many times in Bible accounts that our faith effects events. Help us truly believe in your power and hand over our concerns and fears to you, with faith that you will work them out. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jesus says in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”

The direction in this verse is pretty clear, that if we give, we will receive. However, I think the second sentence has a deeper message. “For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.” Some translations write “by the same standard of measure…” This part of the message is not necessarily about how much we give, but the “standard of measure” we have in giving. I think this means the mindset or attitude that we have in giving. If we give reluctantly, worried about what is being done with “our” gifts, or concerned that we cannot afford to give, we can expect to receive by this standard.

But if we give generously, with the confidence that God always provides, we will receive with the same “standard of measure.”

2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

Dear Lord, you provide all we have, and can give us much more, at your will. Help us remember then to give with a generous measure and you will allways give us everything we need and plenty left over. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Hebrews 11:1 writes, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” KJV

The NLT translation writes it as, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”

So faith is not just a wish, or feeling, it is “substance” The RSV translation uses the word “assurance”. When we have faith in God’s promises, we can “take it to the bank.” It is reality waiting to materialize.

This relates not just to the promise of eternal Salvation, but to all the promises we are given in the Bible. Promises of God’s presence, protection, guidance and abundance.

Where does this faith come from? Romans 11:17 tells us, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

Get faith, have assurance.

Dear Lord, give us this faith in your promises, so that with this faith we can live with confident assurance on earth and eternally. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I watched the video of a question and answer session about Christianity that occurred shortly after the tragic tsunami in 2004 in Indonesia. That event killed over 230,000 people in Indonesia, Thailand, and India. One question and answer caught my attention. The question was, Doesn’t the destruction and tragedy in the world make you question whether there is a God? And the answer was, If Jesus had said that things would be wonderful and uneventful, I might question his existence, but he did not predict tranquility.

In Luke 21:25-26 Jesus said, “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

It is precisely the description, of the events by Jesus in the Bible, that reinforces our faith in its truth.

Dear Lord, the Bible you gave us is an amazing resource for support and confidence of our belief in you. Give us the will to read and study it to strengthen our faith, develop our wisdom, and become more effective in bringing your message to others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I have heard it said that your life is like an echo, what you send out comes back to you, or like a mirror, a reflection of you.

Paul writes in his letter to Titus 1:15, “A person who is pure of heart sees goodness and purity in everything; but a person whose own heart is evil and untrusting finds evil in everything, for his dirty mind and rebellious heart color all he sees and hears.”

I imagine you have met both kinds of people, those that look for the best in everything, and have good positive attitudes, and those that see the negative and problems in every experience. How interesting that they both can be looking at the same situation and see such different pictures. The verse above from Paul’s letter to Titus tells us that the way people look at a situation is an indication of what is in their own heart and mind. How they look at things is as much a statement on themselves as it is a statement on the people or things about which they are commenting.

Dear Lord, help us be people of pure hearts and find the goodness and purity you have put in our world. Help us also be a positive influence on those with evil and untrusting hearts, that they might see your love through us and desire to change. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.