The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "WITH US ALWAYS" for Monday, 5 September 2016 with Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34

The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "WITH US ALWAYS" for Monday, 5 September 2016 with Scripture: Matthew 6:25 “Therefore, I tell you, don’t worry about your life — what you will eat or drink; or about your body — what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds flying about! They neither plant nor harvest, nor do they gather food into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they are? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to his life?
28 “And why be anxious about clothing? Think about the fields of wild irises, and how they grow. They neither work nor spin thread, 29 yet I tell you that not even Shlomo in all his glory was clothed as beautifully as one of these. 30 If this is how God clothes grass in the field — which is here today and gone tomorrow, thrown in an oven — won’t he much more clothe you? What little trust you have!
31 “So don’t be anxious, asking, ‘What will we eat?,’ ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘How will we be clothed?’ 32 For it is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. 33 But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Don’t worry about tomorrow — tomorrow will worry about itself! Today has enough tsuris already!
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[Jesus] got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.[Mark 4:39 (NIV)]
I was having a rough morning. I hadn’t slept well, and I was worried. Family members were struggling with health issues. A valued employee had resigned. I was trying to meet project deadlines. As I stood making small talk during the coffee hour at church, my mind was filled with anxiety.
A friend walked up to me. “That is the most beautiful cross I have ever seen!” she said and pointed to a wooden cross that hung in the coffee area. The church custodian had made it from two gnarled tree limbs, lashed together with cord. I told her it had been there for several years. She put her hands to her face and said, “Isn’t that amazing? That beautiful cross has been there all this time, and I hadn’t even noticed.”
I studied the cross — the symbol of God’s sacrificial love for us. It seemed to reach out to me in my time of distress. On that morning, the cross and the comment from my friend brought me a message from God: “I am here for you. I have always been here with you.”
When we get caught up in worry, we can look around for signs of God’s presence. When we turn our worries over to God through prayer, we can receive God’s comfort.
Read more from the author, here. See the cross mentioned in this meditation, here.
"More from David McCain"
Our church custodian at the time that this devotional was written was a member of a group sponsored by our church called Circle Up. Circle Up is a Bible-centered support group for people who are dealing with mental illness issues. The young man who made that cross was dealing with illness of his own, but God had given him the strength to meet the challenge head-on. He was not only our church custodian, he was also an active member in the church and a leader of Circle Up.
This cross was a visible testament to the work Christ had done in quieting the storms the young man faced in his life. The cross was made of rough wood and lashed together by strong leather cord. It wasn’t very conventional, but it represented how he had forged a way forward from the raw materials he had been provided. It was strong. It was simple. It was a demonstration of what Christ represents and what he can do for us.
The cross helped me see the spiritual presence of God who is always there, patiently waiting for me to notice and experience God's grace and power.
As a church, we want to show our love and concern for those dealing with mental illness. This might be a good time for interested readers to prayerfully consider what their local church is doing/can do to assist in the mental health community.[David McCain]
"Link2Life for September 5, 2016"

The Cross

The Author: David McCain (Louisiana, USA)
Thought for the Day: I will be attentive to signs of God’s presence.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for guiding us through the storms of life. Open our eyes so that we can see the signs of your presence. Amen.
Prayer focus: CHURCH CUSTODIANS
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